Never Use Cologne Near a HalfDemon
by Inudaughter
Summary: Sota and Gramps give Kagome a bottle of perfume with strange glowing letters on it for her birthday. It starts a long series of events and life changes for Kagome and everyone she knows. A long and serious story filled with heartache, friendship, n' lov
1. Chapter 1

_**Never Use Cologne Near a Half-Demon**_

(First the standard disclaimer: I don't own the series or characters and neither do you.)

**Chapter One: It Begins**

"Oh dear," said Mrs. Higurashi suddenly. It was Kagome's sixteenth birthday. There were just hours to go and she still hadn't bought the last part of Kagome's birthday present. As busy as she was with the party preparations, Mrs. Higurashi really wasn't sure what to do. That was until she saw Souta and Gramps sitting in the living room.

"Souta," called Mrs. Higurashi into the living room. "Gramps. Could you please do me a favor and buy Kagome's birthday gift?"

"I did get her a present," said Gramps importantly. "The mummified remains of," he began but Mrs. Higurashi cut him off.

"I know but since Kagome's away so often, I decided to get her something really special. I've already bought her a new kimono and some shoes. I just forgot the perfume to go with it. Would you be so kind as to get some for me?"

"Hmm," said Kagome's grandfather. "Very well then. Come on Souta."

"Ah man," said Souta. He had just reached level thirty of his new video game. Poor guy. He stood up and tripped over Buyo who simply stared at him on the ground.

"Whow," said Buyo.

So Gramps amazingly changed out of his priestly garments and into semi-casual clothes. Souta and he made their way to the nearest department store. All the way, Grandpa murmured complaints about the discomforts of transport. He didn't like to go out very often.

When they finally got there, the two of them had no idea what to buy. Like usual when one is given an errand, one forgets entirely what the errand is for. However, they were in luck since as they wandered about the building for the third time, they passed the perfume counter. "Oh yeah," said Souta running up to it. "Mom wanted us to buy one of these." Souta peeked into the cupboard just as three girls jumped around the corner. It was the trio of Kagome's school friends.

"Hello Souta," said one of the three girls. "I'm impressed. Already using men's cologne?" The other two shook their heads in agreement.

"No it's not like that," said Souta somewhat freaked. Actually, he had tried men's cologne to impress the girl who was now his girlfriend Hitome, but that was his secret.

"I'm looking for perfume for my sister," he explained. "It's Kagome's birthday today." The three girls nodded.

"Yes," said one of them. "That's why we're here too. I've already found the perfect present. See," she said holding something dangling off her finger. "Isn't it adorable?"

Adorable wasn't the word for it as much as weird, Souta thought. A long spiral meant to be hung had a dangling cat's head at one end and paws glued along it. Dangling from the body was an assortment of shiny or translucent beads and charms.

"Er, nice," said Souta. Personally, he thought it was just as bad as Grandpa's waterimp hands.

"Right," said Souta turning back to the task at hand. "I just need to pick one of these." He looked at the display case and picked up a small bottle off one end. The label mentioned something about temptation.

"Oh, this is perfect," one of Kagome's friends squealed reading the label from behind him. "One spray of this and Kagome's boyfriend won't be able to resist. I wish I had a cute boyfriend," she broke off dreamily.

"I don't know," said Souta dubiously. He read down to the bottom of the label and some strange glowing letters appeared. It read, "Disclaimer: do not use this product around hanyous."

"Uh, Gramps," said Souta uncertainly. "Does this seem to say anything about hanyous to you?" He handed the bottle over to Gramps.

"Of course it doesn't," said Gramps reading it thoroughly. "Why should it?"

"You mean there are no strange glowing letters or anything?" he asked uncertainly.

"Of course not my dear boy," said Gramps. "Whatever are you imagining? Let's simply buy this present and get out of here." Kagome's trio of friends cheered and congratulated them on their choice. So they bought the perfume, had it gift-wrapped, and went back to Higurashi Shrine just in time for th party.

When Kagome hopped down the well for her birthday party, Inuyasha accompanied her as usual. Mrs. Higurashi smiled and held up the cake she had so carefully made, wishing her daughter a happy birthday.

"Thanks Mom, " said Kagome brightly. They all sat down and began to eat the wonderful dinner Mrs. Higurashi had made for all of them. Then they dug into the delightful cake.

"When you're done with that dear," said Mrs. Higurashi," I have an extra special present for you."

"You're the greatest Mom," said Kagome clasping her hands excitedly. "Let me see, what did you get me?"

"I left it in the bedroom dear," said Kagome's mom getting up to retrieve it. Kagome followed after her.

"Here it is," said Kagome's mom handing her a stack of not one but three presents. Kagome ripped into them excitedly.

Oh, wow Mom!" said Kagome as the gleaming silk of a brand new kimono slid onto the bed. It was red with silver specks and came with a fan. In the second package was the heels to go with it.

"I thought you might both want to try red," said Kagome's mom before Kagome gave her a great big hug.

"Now this last present is something Gramps and Souta picked out," said Mrs. Higurashi holding up the third package. It was small in comparison to the others. Kagome opened it and found a bottle of perfume. Kagome barely read the name before shoving it back into its box.

"Thanks Mom. It will be useful in the Sengoku Jidai. Sometimes we travel for days without reaching a bath." Kagome's mom patted her sympathetically.

"Now my dear, I think it's time we got back to the party."

"Hold on, said Kagome. "I want to try on my new dress. I might as well wear it for tonight. I don't know when I'll next get the opportunity." Kagome's mom smiled and left the room to let her change.

In a few minutes, Kagome stood in her new kimono in front of the full-length mirror. She admired how the dress seemed to fit her every curve. Its red was something to rival Inuyasha's own. She was very pleased and tapped open and closed her fan. "I'd better not do that," she giggled. "I look like Kagura."

Kagome laid the fan on the bed and absent-mindedly pulled out the perfume. She sniffed it cautiously and found she liked the smell, so she applied it liberally. Then she took one last look in the mirror and left the room.

Inuyasha could hear the heels of her shoes click down the stairs. Before she even came into sight, the scent of the perfume wafted across the room and made its way to his nose. He suddenly began to feel very queer. As she came into sight, Kagome suddenly seemed the most ravishingly beautiful thing he had ever see. Inuyasha quivered, then, he fell unconscious. His head landed in what remained of the cake.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- I do not own the copyrights to Inuyasha.

**Chapter Two: The Beginning of an Obsession**

Inuyasha could hear the heels of her shoes click down the stairs. Before she even came into sight, the scent of the perfume wafted across the room and made its way to his nose. He suddenly began to feel very peculiar. As she came into sight, Kagome suddenly seemed the most ravishingly beautiful thing he had ever see. Inuyasha quivered, then, he fell unconscious. His head landed in what remained of the cake.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome fretting and pulling his locks stickily out of the frosting. "I know I wanted to look gorgeous but maybe not drop dead gorgeous."

For lack of a better thing to do, they ran water over Inuyasha's hair in the bath tub. Then, since he was still unconscious, they hefted him onto Kagome's bed where she sat fidgeting. "Oh dear," Kagome said. "Maybe he's allergic to something? I know. Maybe it's my perfume." She went out of the room to take a bath to wash it off.

Truly, that was a good idea but it wasn't going to work. Kagome found that out soon when she went to read the ingredients on the bottle. At the bottom, she quickly found the strange glowing letters Sota had spoke of and even more, turning the bottle upside down she found a hotline on the bottom of the bottle. Anxiously, she raced to the telephone and dialed the number.

"Hello," asked Kagome uncertainly on reaching an operator. "I'm Kagome Higurashi. I recently received a bottle of your perfume for my birthday. It seems to have had a bad effect on a hanyou friend of mine. Is he going to be okay?"

The operator on the other side of the phone left a long pause before answering. "Oh," she said. "You poor dear. I assume you actually used this perfume, that the spray came into contact with your skin before the hanyou was affected?"

"Yes," said Kagome nervously.

"Oh. You poor, poor dear," repeated the operator.

"Why am I so poor?" Kagome asked angrily.

"Well," said the operator slowly taking her time. She drawled out the well and then paused for what seemed eternity.

"Well my dear," she continued finally. "The problem is, as the label plainly states, the product is not meant to be used around hanyous. If the product is used around unbound hanyous of the opposite sex, well, the user is marked permanently.

"Marked? How?" Kagome licked her lips.

"Well, not permanently," the operator spoke rapidly. "It just means that, well, young lady have you ever heard of a love potion?"

"Yes." Kagome hesitated.

"Well," said the operator. She was very fond of this word it seemed. "Our product, whose full name is 77 youkai temptation under the full moon," quite the title Kagome thought, "has a usually undesirable effect on hanyous. It causes them to lose control of their demon nature. It causes them to become wildly desirous of the human or demon whose skin the product came in contact with."

"But I washed it off!" Kagome complained vocally. "It shouldn't matter!"

"But it does," countered the operator loudly. "The problem you see lies in the mind of the hanyou. Once that being has smelled that particular mixture of scent and perfume, that person to whom the scent belongs is permanently marked in their brain as their mate. It is sadly, untreatable."

"What!" Kagome yelled into the phone. "He's lying in my bedroom passed out right now and you tell me if I go in there he'll probably jump down from the ceiling and..."

"If I was you darling," said the voice professionally," I would go somewhere else for a while."

"But you said the potion was permanent!" Kagome yelled into the phone.

"Well, it is," said the operator, "if the hanyou gets their way. Then the natural process the perfume mimics will be reinforced. Otherwise, the perfume's effect will wear off in say, seventeen days."

"Seventeen days!" Kagome roared into the phone. "You're telling me I have to put up with this for seventeen days!"

"Well, you are the one who didn't read the label," said the operator without pity.

Kagome sucked in her breath and hung up the phone. She picked it up and dialed. "Eri? Can I stay at your house tonight?" she pleaded.

Eri couldn't get her mother to give her permission. It was already the middle of the night. So Kagome calmed down and resolved that she had better do something about Inuyasha. It was either that or use her savings for a plane ticket elsewhere. She was sorely tempted.

But instead, she crept cautiously up to the door to her room. Inside, she thought she could hear Inuyasha's even breathing. As carefully as she could, she swung open the door and peered through the crack. She just wanted to see he was okay.

Peering into the gloom, of course she couldn't see anything. Quietly, she closed the door. She started off down the hallway, but just as she reached halfway, Kagome could swear she heard a creak. She whipped around half-expecting to see Inuyasha behind her. But the door seemed as closed as ever.

A little unnerved, Kagome walked down the hallway. She went downstairs and rattled around in the fridge. The chill air wafting out from its opening was both reassuring and disquieting.

Kagome thrust a glass under the instant ice dispense and listened for a minute to the sound of backed-up ice. Irritably, she hit the dispenser, willing it to work. Ultimately, she gave up and poured herself some juice. She lifted the cup to her eye and moodily looked at the scant ice she had managed to get. She could hear it cracking. It was a quiet night.

Without warning, Kagome's cup of juice fell to the floor and splattered on the tile. She found herself looking up into Inuyasha's smiling face. His eyes were blood red, his face streaked with violet lines.

"Inuyasha," gasped Kagome. As she feared, there was no vocal reply.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Insomnia**

The youkai blood, it seemed, had taken over Inuyasha. Kagome's heart began to pulse rapidly as the transformed Inuyasha began to drag her back to her bedroom. "Inuyasha," she protested squeaking out feebly.

Inuyasha kicked open the door, breaking off the knob easily. He could have taken the whole door off too, but happily it seemed he did have some restraint albeight little. Despite her dire situation, Kagome took the time to puzzle over this new development.

"Do you know how much time that will take to fix?" she thought to herself. "When this is over, I'll have to go downtown, catch several overhead trams, buy a door, get it installed or figure it out myself, maybe Gramps can do that and Mom may be able to help. Chances are I'll have to paint it too. I'll need some new paint to match the old color and, oh my gosh what is Inuyasha doing?"

Inuyasha had just lain Kagome down on the bed. What he did next was truly puzzling to Kagome. He bunched up all the blankets around her like a nest. Then, he sniffed her and laid down beside her. He caught an arm around her chest and dragged her down to lay with her back against him. Then he began to lick down the side of her neck as if to comfort her.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome finally coming to her senses. "Sit!"

There was a loud cracking of springs and Kagome frowned. "Great," she said out loud. "Now I'll have to buy a new bed too."

"Kagome!" shouted an enraged Inuyasha. He was back to his senses apparently. "What was that for!"

"As if you didn't know," shouted Kagome wrath. "Well, actually, you might not but you deserved it anyway! And here I thought you were a nice guy! Trying to force yourself onto women."

Inuyasha blinked. "Kagome, I would never do that."

Kagome drew in a breath wearily and decided she had better explain things. When she was done, Inuyasha was aghast.

"And worst of all," ended Kagome's ranting, "You broke my bed!"

"Well if you didn't want that to happen you should have said sit earlier," Inuyasha spoke on his behalf.

Kagome stilled. On some level, she had to agree. She had taken a long time to react. Was it shock, or her own desire. She held a hand up to her heart and felt it drumroll anew in a heated, pleasant way at the memory of Inuyasha's tongue pressed against her skin.

Kagome and Inuyasha spent the next fifteen minutes dismantling her twisted bed frame and throwing it out the window. Kagome did the best she could to make a temporary bed for herself, stuffing pillows into the hole left in the mattress. She sighed and tucked herself in for the night.

"Any more trouble, and you're sleeping on the couch," she said.

Inuyasha nodded but didn't go to sleep. He decided it might be best after all if he returned to the Sengoku Jidai. So he leapt through the well to find a tree for the night. He would pick Kagome up in the morning he concluded.

Back in the Warring States Era, Inuyasha settled against a tree willing to snooze. Eventually, he did drift into slumber. With time and the peace of an unbroken sleep, dreams came. They wove themselves around him, tying him in a realm quite of its own, where desires run free.

Inuyasha in his tree whined and licked his lips. He tapped his foot anxiously and nearly fell out of his tree. On reflex, he caught the branch and hauled himself back up. But rather than go back to quiet slumber, Inuyasha looked about himself unseeingly like some sort of zombie. He began to sleepwalk.

The alarm on Kagome's bedroom clock went off. She had made it a point to replace the one with Inuyasha's teeth marks in it. Kagome stretched out her toes along the length of her bed and contacted unexpectedly with something furry. She became aware suddenly that someone was pressed against her back. She bolted up and turned to see Inuyasha snoozing. His face was peaceful. He was curled in such a way that it was obvious he had been nestling against her.

Cautiously, Kagome lifted up the covers to discover what was at her feet. Much to her horror, it seemed Inuyasha had done some hunting in the middle of the night and had left something bloody at the foot of the bed.

"Inuyasha!" hissed Kagome angrily poking him awake. "What do you think you are doing?" Inuyasha stuttered awake and blinked.

"Huh? What are you, mean what am I doing here?" he asked.

"WHAT do you think you are doing INUYASHA!" screeched Kagome repeating herself. She pointed her finger at Inuyasha's unwelcome gift. "What do you think you are doing leaving your trophy kills in MY bed?"

Inuyasha got up and sniffed it. He didn't remember any of it but it seemed like his. He shrugged.

"I dunno. If you don't like it, I'll take it back. Let's go Kagome."

"Go? Where?" said Kagome dully.

"We need to hunt for the jewel shards remember? You've already had enough time off for your birthday party."

"Hold on Inuyasha," protested Kagome. She packed her yellow backpack and made sure to include the offending perfume bottle. She decided to show it to Miroku.

"Hurry up let's go," said an impatient Inuyasha. At last they jumped down the well and a little more cozy than usual, Inuyasha tucked Kagome against himself protectively as they fell.

"Uh, Inuyasha," said Kagome pointedly trying to pull her head free.

"Oh, right," said Inuyasha releasing her quickly. He coughed and turned away but looked back as if he couldn't bear to have her out of his sight.

When they made it to Kaede's hut, Kagome handed the bottle to Miroku. "Interesting," said Miroku peering at the glowing label. "And you say you got this in your own time Kagome?"

Kagome knew she didn't really have to say anything so she sat down and watched Miroku work.

"Do you know anything about it Miroku?" she asked.

"Inuyasha," said Miroku commandingly, "pinch your nose shut." He made to open the bottle and Inuyasha, afraid of any more transformations, did as he was told. Miroku opened the bottle and sniffed it, then passed it to Songo.

"Anything you know of?" Miroku asked Sango. Sango shook her head no.

"Not exactly," said Sango. "Still, there are herbs we demon slayers know of which can work on demons like cat nip to a cat. Perhaps this is derived from some such herb." She looked at it thoughtfully.

"The woman on the phone, er, I was talking to," corrected Kagome, "said that it has the effect of 'mimicking' a natural process youkai use to tell apart their mate. She said basically that until the potion wears off Inuyasha will think that he's bonded with me."

Kagome stopped talking and sighed to herself. "Things are a bit too complicated," she said quietly.

"Still," she said out loud hopefully, "the symptoms aren't as bad as she suggested they would be. Inuyasha seems to have control of himself."

Miroku recapped the bottle and began to hand it back to Kagome when Shippo popped up. "Let me see," he demanded reaching up for the bottle. Kagome picked it up into the air towards herself out of his reach.

"No Shippo," she began. "This is for grown-u..." Kagome couldn't finish the last word since the screw cap, which was an unfamiliar concept to Miroku fell off and a plentiful portion of the perfume landed on Kagome and soaked through her clothes.

Inuyasha, who had uncovered his nose when the cap was replaced, began to get a very foggy look. He seemed to pass out again but this time, within a few seconds the demon blood began to pulse. He looked up at Kagome with crimson eyes and a fang poked out as he panted, testing the air. Everyone held their breath as Inuyasha seemed not to do anything but sniff, abut then the hanyou propelled himself forward. He landed on Kagome, pinning her to the ground.

Kagome looked up and saw Inuyasha sitting on her skirt. He leaned down so that he was sprawled against her and began to muffle her protests with kisses. Sango caught up Shippo and hid his eyes behind her hand. "Let me see," the little one protested.

"No," said Sango. "This is strictly for adults."

Flushed with kisses, Kagome pushed her hands against Inuyasha's chest. He caught her hand and dragged it down along his body letting it rest below his waist. Kagome blushed and more than ever tried to squirm out from underneath him. Inuyasha let her and sat back on his haunches looking at her a few feet away.

Everyone watched very carefully as Kagome stood up. "I'm going to take a bath now," she said deliberately.

"Oh good," said Miroku loudly. Inuyasha growled at him fiercely showing his teeth.

Sango shot a glance at Miroku. "You stay here," she commanded.

"Yes," said Kagome carefully. "I'm going to take a bath with my clothes on."

Kagome walked to the river outside of the village. Sango stood on the rocky shore while Kagome waded into the cold water. She hoped to be unpursued but Inuyasha waded out as well and caught her by the arms. He began to growl at her anxiously in a low affectionate way. Kagome sat down abruptly in the water despite Inuyasha's hold and began to splash herself. Reluctantly, Inuyasha released his hold temporarily and looked at her curiously. He seemed to get what she was doing. Helpfully, he clutched the front of her shirt and began to pull it off. Kagome batted him away fiercely. She stumbled back embarrassed and ducked under the water as quickly as she could. Kagome pleaded for as much of the scent as possible to have left when Inuyasha dragged her abruptly out of the water. He whined and pressed her to himself, bathing her with kisses. Kagome shifted back uneasily as his hips ground into hers. He was midway through a passionate mouth-to-mouth kiss when suddenly his eyes shifted back to their usual gold and the stripes faded from his face. Looking a little stunned, Inuyasha backed off and unentwined his arms from around her. Uneasily, he removed the few strands of hair that had remained woven around his fingers. Kagome just stood there in the river for quite a bit. Silence flowed between them, calmed by running water.

"Kagome?" said Inuyasha finally. Kagome looked away.

"Sango. Please leave us for a while," she requested.

"Are you sure?" said Sango.

"Yes," said Kagome. She watched Sango go and then turned to Inuyasha who was looking down sheepishly.

"Inuyasha," she said moving forward. The water rippled out behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Recap:** _He was midway through a passionate mouth-to-mouth kiss when suddenly his eyes shifted back to their usual gold and the stripes faded from his face. Looking a little stunned, Inuyasha backed off and unentwined his arms from around her. Uneasily, he removed the few strands of hair that had remained woven around his fingers. Kagome just stood there in the river for quite a bit. Silence flowed between them, calmed by running water._

**Chapter Four: Awakening**

"Kagome?" said Inuyasha finally. Kagome looked away.

"Sango. Please leave us for a while," she requested.

"Are you sure?" said Sango.

"Yes," said Kagome. She watched Sango go and then turned to Inuyasha who was looking down sheepishly.

"Inuyasha," she said moving forward. The water rippled out behind her.

Inuyasha shuttered away from her touch perhaps from guilt. Kagome smiled and took his hand. "Inuyasha," she said. "I'll forgive you if you do one thing," she continued.

Not releasing her hold on his hand, she dragged Inuyasha out farther in the water. "Wait," she said softly. "You might want to leave your shirt behind." She reached up and untied it. Then she folded it gently and laid it on the bank.

Inuyasha still didn't say anything. He only watched her slow, deliberate movements. He jumped again as she reached out for his hand. "Come on," spoke Kagome. "Swim with me for a bit." Kagome dove under the water and after a moment's hesitation Inuyasha followed.

They swam through the clear, deep water. Kagome then bobbed up and turned towards the waterfall's pool. She swam as close to it as she could and reached a hand out to its spray. As inexplicably as she had gone towards it, she swam away and pulled herself onto the bank so she could sit near it. Inuyasha sat down next to her. They both watched the falls silently as time passed like breaks of dew.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" murmured Kagome.

"It's all beautiful then," said Inuyasha gruffly. "Your world may be different but this world's full of this kind of thing." Kagome smiled.

"Inuyasha," she said scooting close to him. She sat up on her knees. "There's one thing you have to do for me to forgive you."

"Apologize?" he surmised.

Kagome didn't waste time with an answer. Instead, she captured his lips with hers and nodded her head back and forth as she caressed his lips with hers. She drew herself up and pressed her bosom against his bare chest. Breathless at last, she drew away. Inuyasha caught her face with one hand and looked deep into her eyes.

Panting heavily, she apologized. "I'm sorry. It's just that when you treat me like that, I can't help but feel that you're my mate too." Inuyasha didn't say anything nor did he drop his hand. He just sat there staring at her until they both came to the conclusion they had been here too long and got up to leave.

"Come on Kagome," said Inuyasha after retrieving his shirt. He stooped down as was standard to let Kagome climb on his back. He carried them back to where Sango and Miroku were waiting.

"What's going on, what happened?" squeaked Shippo anxiously. He leapt onto Kagome's shoulder and breathed in the smell. He smiled. "You two are getting along well, aren't you," he intoned. Inuyasha hit him on the head for his remark.

"Something I don't understand," said Kagome, "is why washing it off has such effect. The woman said it should have none." She picked up the remnants of the bottle casually and examined the label.

"Ah-hah," said Kagome suddenly. "It has passed its expiration date." She pointed to a set of numbers on the label. "Curious," she continued. "I didn't think that perfume's expired."

"Expiration date?" asked Miroku.

"Yes," said Kagome. "In my time, it is required by law to put a date on many things, especially food, saying when the product should be too old to be used any longer."

Miroku leaned back nonchalantly. "Well, it seems you were very fortunate Kagome."

"Yes," pondered Kagome. "Imagine if I had received a fresh batch of that potion. I doubt Inuyasha would ever have reverted."

"Indeed," said Miroku seriously. "Still, that leaves the question of who made the perfume in the first place."

Kagome put a finger up to her chin thoughtfully. "No idea," she concluded. "But at least one person who works for them must have spiritual powers. But they market to demons. I guess there are some hidden in my world."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I haven't sensed them," he said. "We've only run into a couple of leftovers from centuries ago."

Kagome became absorbed deep in thought but she couldn't come up with any answers so she gave up.

The day was mostly spent so they decided to stay at Kaede's for another day. Old Kaede, being a wonderful welcoming woman got out sleeping mats for everyone except Inuyasha who never used one. After Inuyasha left to go sleep outside on the roof, Kagome surprised everyone by asking Kaede for a second mat. She placed it alongside the first.

"What's that for Kagome?" said Shippo tumbling onto it. He sat in the middle of it and looked around.

"You'll see," said Kagome sighing unhappily.

Everyone went to bed quickly. There was long journey ahead of them tomorrow, so they needed their rest. Kagome couldn't get to sleep however. As predicted, sometime deep in the night when owls hooted and there was naught but the creak in the wind, some footsteps began to be heard. Inuyasha, blissfully without hunted prey this time, staggered in as if sleepwalking. Without hesitation, he lay down next to Kagome on the second mat. At this point, everyone in the hut except Inuyasha was awake watching. Inuyasha stretched, scratched his ear still with his eyes closed, and nuzzled close to Kagome. He sniffed her hair gently and kissed her ear a few times. He yawned once more and pulled her tightly against him, burying his face in her raven black hair. He placed a few more lingering kisses on her neck.

Kagome blushed and didn't move. Everyone else looked at each other stunned. They nodded their heads and pretended to go back to sleep but were actually too shocked to do so.

In the morning, Kagome caught Miroku with the bottle. He was looking at the label studiously and hid it behind his back guiltily as she looked over at him.

"Don't even think about it Miroku," she warned. "Songo isn't a half demon." Miroku sighed heavily with despair. Sango looked over crossly. She came up and plucked the bottle out of Miroku's hands.

In the hours of early morning light, Kagome tried to wiggle free of Inuyasha's grasp. It was to no avail. Every time she managed to sneak fee, he only lunged up and pulled her back down to cling all the more tightly. Still, she made one last attempt, shoving against his chest and ducking down through his arms. She shoved boldly against him with her heels and sat up, thinking to have gained freedom at last. The slumbering Inuyasha only rose, took her wrist in his hand, and laid sprawled down upon her. This was the last straw for Kagome. The last thing she had wanted this morning was to find herself pressed beneath Inuyasha face to face in sight of all her friends. She grabbed one of his dog ears and yelled within.

"INUYASHA,' she yelled the shout echoing through the room. Goodness knows how it sounded coming point blank into his ear. A wonder he didn't go deaf.

Inuyasha bolted up shivering in alarm. He clapped his hands to his ears and grimaced in pain.

"Damn Kagome, why did you have to do that?" He lay down sickenly in the corner while Kagome stood up. She brushed herself off and hummed happily as she went to go freshen up and eat breakfast. Miroku came over to Inuyasha huddled in the corner. He rapped his head lightly with his staff.

"Ha, you dirty dog," said Miroku almost in awe.

"Why do you say that?" asked Inuyasha with one hand still over his ear.

Miroku grinned broadly and began to torment Inuyasha by recalling everything dubious he had done in the last two days. Inuyasha turned vivid red and came up with some lame excuse for having to flee. Miroku laughed.

Inuyasha hid in tree for much of the day. Eventually the group tracked him down and dragged him off to go hunt for more jewel shards. The next ten days went by without much trouble. If he began to get too rowdy at night, Kagome woke Inuyasha by speaking in his ear. One thing was consistent though. Every night, he thoroughly sniffed her hair. Poor Miroku had to take up a large part of the guard duty, aided by Sango since Inuyasha seemed zonked out all the time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the manga or Anime series known as Inuyasha.

**Chapter Five: Fesitival**

On the tenth day since Kagome's birthday they came upon a village which was preparing for a festival. Miroku looked at the food they were making and the decorations they were putting up quite happily. "At last," he said with a hand to his head. "I'll be able to get a little relaxation."

"Whatever makes you think we're staying?" said Inuyasha preparing to go.

"Sit boy," said Kagome halting his progress. "This is a good thing Inuyasha. I can use some relaxation too. You have no idea of all the stress you've put me through lately."

"Put stress on who?" shouted back Inuyasha from the ground. ":For your information you're not the only one who's bothered by it."

"Somehow, I don't have any sympathy for him," said Shippo from Miroku's shoulder. Sango and Miroku nodded their heads in agreement.

So that night, Sango spruced up her kimono and Kagome put on a change of clothes. She wore a pretty blue skirt much longer than her usual one and short sleeves for a change. She looked very beautiful.

Kagome smiled and dragged Inuyasha by the arm into the night. "Have fun," she shouted back to Sango and Miroku conspiratorially. She passed under a string of lighted paper lamps.

"I still don't know what holiday this is," said Kagome looking around.

"Bah," said Inuyasha arms crossed. "Some regional one."

There was as often is for festivals music and dancing, a parade, and venders selling food. There were paper lamps and lighted candles.

"It seems to be a remembrance festival," said Kagome frowning, "for guiding spirits or something." Inuyasha shrugged. Kagome wandered away and bumped into someone.

"Oh, pardon me," said the young village man looking her up and down. "Say, do you have a date for the festival?"

"She's with me," said Inuyasha moving to stand in front of her.

"Ah," said the young man bowing apologetically. "My apologies, I did not mean to be so rude to your wife." He moved away.

"Wife?" said Kagome alarmed.

"Yeah, that's right," said Inuyasha absent-mindedly. Suddenly the lights went on. "Wife?" he stuttered out in disbelief.

"She is not my wife!" he shouted out over the crowd with a fist up in the air. Everyone became quiet around them for a few seconds and then resumed their chatter. Inuyasha pushed through the crowds of churning people, Kagome jogging in his wake.

"Crazy villager," he muttered glaring at people who hastened out of his way. "What made him think," he picked up Kagome and leapt over a row of crates blocking the way.

"That she." He lifted her out of a puddle of mud and chased stray dogs away.

"And I." He punched out a pickpocket that was groping her in a crowded section.

"A half demon and a priestess of all people." He scattered a bunch of crates and a women's umbrella came floating down. He handed it to Kagome.

"Could ever have a relationship like that."

"Ow," said Kagome tripping over a pair of kids who had been running through the streets. They took off without a second word. "That hurt," she grumbled.

Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows anxiously and knelt down by Kagome. "Are you all right?" he asked her rubbing his check against hers.

"Awww,' said a group of women staring at them nearby. "Aren't you such a lucky girl. Such a caring husband." Kagome and Inuyasha both froze and hastened away. They decided maybe it was better to find Songo and Miroku.

It was a good thing they found them too. Sango had drunken too much sake and was beating the crap out of Miroku for looking at other women.

"Save me Inuyasha," Miroku pleaded. Shippo and Kilala were most content, having eaten all the goodies they had wanted. Sango had even given the little tyke some spending money. He never said how much, but he came back with a gold plated spinwheel.

"Kagome," said Shippo leaping up on her happily. "You should have seen the puppets." He spent the next hour transforming into each of them as he described the story's plot.

The next day, the group left town to continue their journey. They had no where in particular to go, they just hoped to keep moving so as to find some lead on Naraku. As the day advanced however, it began to get hot. There was no shade near their beaten trail, not even rampant bamboo. Inuyasha began sniffing the still air with greater and greater intensity. Kilala moaned a warning to Sango, trying to tell her that something was up with the hanyou. Sango caught that much of the meaning but the rest was not understood.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the manga or Anime series known as Inuyasha.

**Chapter Six: Disasters Averted**

The next day, the group left town to continue their journey. They had no where in particular to go, they just hoped to keep moving so as to find some lead on Naraku. As the day advanced however, it began to get hot. There was no shade near their beaten trail, not even rampant bamboo. Inuyasha began sniffing the still air with grater and greater intensity. Kilala moaned a warning to Sango, trying to tell her that something was up with the hanyou. Sango caught that much of the meaning but the rest was not understood.

"Inuyasha," she called out halting him. "Is everything okay?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air again a couple of times. "Argh," he said disgustedly sitting down in the dust. "I can't take this. Sango, you said you demonslayers have stuff to excite demons. Do you have anything to calm them down?"

"Yes." Sango stroked Kilala's head. "There are herbal teas I can make, but what do you want it for specifically?"

"What for?" said Inuyasha losing it. "Kagome's in damn heat that's what for. I just can't stand it anymore!" He tapped his leg anxiously, also his fingertips.

The other's eyes grew large and they hastened to find the herbal ingredients at Sango's direction. Miroku studiously stoked a fire to boil water on.

"Good job Miroku," said Sango. "Thanks." She threw a handful of powder she had prepared into a bowl filled with heated water. She stirred and removed it from the fire to give to Inuyasha.

"Careful, it's hot," she cautioned. "Drink a swallow full of this every few hours and it will dullen your senses."

"Finally!" Inuyasha took a gulp recklessly. He burned his tongue but sighed like a man relieved of an unquenchable thirst.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Miroku asked. "We could be easily ambushed without Inuyasha's sense of smell."

"It's the best thing we can do right now," Sango reassured him. "After all, we don't want Inuyasha breeding with Kagome."

"Why not?" said Miroku earning himself a slap.

That night, Inuyasha didn't sneak into Kagome's bed at all. Instead, he was able to keep watch as he used to do but with his ears only. The morning was to find the hanyou alight with an enthusiastic grin.

"All right!" Triumphantly, Inuyasha shook his bottle of herbal tea. "Back to life as normal!"

But it wasn't to last. As Miroku had predicted, without Inuyasha's sense of smell they were disadvantaged. In their travels, they came into a broad field pulsing with youkai energy. They couldn't tell which direction the enemy was coming from and were ambushed. The increased metabolism from jumping around caused Inuyasha's helping of Sango's potion to wear off. After sheathing his sword, Inuyasha looked down hiding his eyes. When he looked up again they were red and Kagome knew she was in trouble.

"Uh oh," Shippo said for her. "Flee Kagome!"

Kagome backed up against Kilala, thinking perhaps to climb on board. But Inuyasha leapt over to Kilala's side and threw the cat away, leaving Kagome trapped on the ground. Kilala lifted herself and looked to go back but Sango lay a restraining hand on her head. "No Kilala," she said sadly.

"But Kagome!" Shippo teared unhappily.

"Kagome will be fine, I hope," said Sango. "We can not interfere. Right now, all Inuyasha knows is that Kagome is his mate. He will kill us if we threaten that. I just hope Kagome is able to knock some sense into him." Shippo still looked in tears.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome in a high-pitched tone. On reflex, as he came forward, she put her bow under his chin. It glowed dangerously. Inuyasha stopped. Even in this state, he knew it meant instant death.

"I can't do it," Kagome sobbed. She threw the bow away and threw herself into his outstretched arms. "I would rather have it this way than kill you."

The transformed Inuyasha stopped quietly and blankly looked at her tears. He pulled the anguished woman into his arms and nuzzled her reassuringly. She tried to pull away from that and he halted her by resting his teeth on her neck. Then he recommenced his tender administrations. Over time, his eyes faded back to gold and he regained his sense of self.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried into the fabric on his chest. "You were so changed."

"Don't worry Kagome," said Inuyasha heartfully. "I won't ask you to bear my children until you're ready." Kagome nodded through her tears.

"See Miroku." Sango leant over to whisper chastizingly in his ear. "Who's the better man?"

"Hey, I'm just exhibiting courage you know," defended Miroku. "I know what I want and am not ashamed of it."

"Whatever." Sango sighed.

The seventeen days passed and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Despite all the tension, nothing had happened. Nothing except that Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship seemed oddly advanced by the disaster. Without saying anything about it, they remained sleeping side by side. Since not much was going on, Sango asked that they visit her old village. No one was alive of course but she could visit the graves.

Kagome and Inuyasha didn't feel like hanging around themselves, so when Inuyasha went out to hunt something for them to share as dinner, Kagome asked to go along. Inuyasha wouldn't let Shippo go, saying he would only get in the way. Kagome linked her arms around Inuyasha's neck from the back and off they went. They descended the mountain on which Sango's village was perched and discovered a place newly built. It looked like a new shrine.

Inuyasha wanted nothing to do with it but of course Kagome was curious so she convinced him to help her spy. They sat on the shrine wall and discovered it consisted of a bunch of young priestesses. Their leader came out and was only thirty herself. Unfortunately for them, the head priestess saw them spying and sicced her companions on them.

"Hey," shouted Kagome angrily as arrow after arrow shot after them.

"See how it feels?" Inuyasha complained.

"Yeah, yeah," said Kagome. Unlike her, these priestesses knew their stuff. They sent shikigami, barriers, and all manner of spiritual energy after them. Time after time, Kagome used her arrow to crack through shields of crackling lightening. At last they seemed to get away. Inuyasha leaned back against a tree panting heavily. He had the terrifying vision of about thirty Kikyos dancing around all pointing an arrow at him.

Suddenly, his idle thought became reality as three archers suddenly found them. Inuyasha ripped out his Tetsusiaga and used it as a shield. It held the arrows at bay long enough to cause them to disintegrate but it untransformed after. Wildly, Inuyasha pulled more energy into the sword making it transform again, but his time as a new round of arrows hit it, the blade snapped.

"Sh..shit!" stammered Inuyasha. He picked up the fallen blade. "Let's get out of here," he said leaping straight up into the air with Kagome on his back. It was a good trick. The archers couldn't see directly in the sun so he managed to lose the three arrow-crazed priestesses.

"Looks like someone is going to have to make another visit to old Totosai," said Kagome pointedly.

"Yeah," said a displeased Inuyasha. They ran on but suddenly a fleet of flying shikigama grabbed hold of Inuyasha. The little paper dolls stuck all over his clothes and hair and pulled him to the ground. Try as he might, he could not raise himself. They found themselves surrounded by about twenty of the priestesses including the leader. She walked forward toward Kagome.

"Let him go!" shouted Kagome angrily.

"THAT is a half-demon priestess," said the leader ominously. "I'm sure you're aware of that. However, what I'm not sure of is why a priestess such as yourself would choose to travel in such company."

The stern looking woman stopped directly in front of Kagome and looked in her rebellious eyes. She slapped her and grabbed hold of her face looking into her eyes.

"You have great powers, girl," said the head priestess. "Yet judging by your odd dress and your present company you are a dark priestess. Is that correct?"

"You're wrong!" said Kagome with fury. "I'm not a dark priestess."

"Oh? I suppose then we will hold you for further questioning. As for your demon friend however, he must be executed immediately. Priestesses," she said waving a hand. The archers raised their bows.

"No!" screamed Kagome running in front of him. "You can't! Inuyasha isn't evil. Besides, I love him." Tears splashed down all her front.

The older woman suddenly took on a tone of softness. "Now, now dear girl," she soothed. "It all makes sense now. He's got you under a spell that's all. Now come away from there and we can make it all better. It will be all right."

Kagome clenched her fists. "I'm not under a spell. He is... my servant, yeah. I caught him with a subduing spell. He has to do everything I tell him see. He's really quite tame." Kagome forced a smile and gave a few fake laughs. She petted him on the head. "You see, he doesn't hurt people. His mother was a human and he SO misses his mother. It's not his fault he wasn't born all human."

"I see," said the head priestess. "Take them both away and confine them," she said. Kagome found herself marched along and thrown roughly into a cell.

"Inuyasha, Inuyasha!" she called around wildly. A few seconds later Inuyasha flew into the cell and crashed against the wall. The shikigami's peeled themselves off and slipped through the bottom of the closed door.

"Inuyasha, are you all right?" Concerned, Kagome knelt next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"A servant, right?" Inuyasha said with his face on the floor.

"Inuyasha, you know I just had to make that up so you didn't get killed." Inuyasha sat up and yelled in her face.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't need saving if it wasn't for you and your curiousity."

Kagome got mad. "Yeah, well how was I supposed to know? Just be glad we're still both alive. You idiot. I was so scared." Kagome broke out into tears again. Inuyasha looked at her uncertain what to do.

"I'm sorry." Kagome dried her eyes. "I'm just not sure what I'd do if I lost you."

"Same to you." Inuyasha looked off into the corner. They sat there in silence for a while.

"Look Kagome," said Inuyasha. "We have to figure some way out of this. Think of something."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You're the priestess."

Kagome was coming up with something to say when they heard a gentle rap at the door. They heard spell scrolls being removed and two priestesses moved into the room. Straw hats obscured their faces.

"Who are you?" asked Kagome. Inuyasha's nose was twitching.

All of a sudden the two figures ripped off their straw hats. It was the red and white priestesses they had met a long time ago in their fight against the dark priestess Tsubaki who had cursed Kagome.

"It's us," they said Momiji and Botan reintroducing themselves.

Kagome smiled. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well," said Momiji, "after the forbidden tower was opened and the ogre destroyed, we had no reason to stay at the shrine. Instead, we determined to travel the world and gain new experiences to enable us to become better priestesses."

"Only after a while," said Botan, "it became tiring and we decided we would like to stay somewhere for a while. So we heard of a head priestess with great spiritual power who was training young girls and we decided to enroll as her apprentices."

"However," said Momiji, "we discovered she is very strict and despises all demons. We can't exactly agree with her, after we met Shippo. How is he doing?"

"He's doing very well." Kagome smiled. Inuyasha just listened to the discussion with his arms crossed.

"Anyway, we have come to help you escape," said Momiji. "The head lady here refuses to listen to us. We told her how good you were destroying that evil ogre and being good to us even though we mistook you for the enemy. Like I said, she despises all demons. She says that as a half-demon, you have to die whether good or bad. So we will be sure to bust you out."

"Won't you get in trouble yourselves?"

"Nah," said Botan. "We're going to escape too. This place is boring. We are going back to the old temple."

"Or maybe we will settle in a village nearby," said Momiji.

"Well, I know Kaede could use some help. Let's all get going then."

"Right," said the two priestesses in unison. They ripped out two shikigami paper men and transformed them into huge figures they could sit on. Kagome and one priestess sat on one of the shikigami, while Inuyasha and the other priestess sat on the next. "Hold on tight," said Momiji.

The door burst open and they flew out, up and over the forest. They sped away from the shrine without any pursuit. The air felt good as they raced along. Kagome looked down and saw Hachi drifting along the treetops. "Hi, Hachi," she called waving a hand. Hachi looked up and saw them. He flew up alongside them.

"Who are your friends?" he asked. Kagome introduced them and asked Hachi to come along with them. They flew all the way to Sango's village. Sango and Miroku came out of a hut and looked up with curiosity at the approaching company

"Ah, so good to see you ladies," said Miroku his hand itching. Sango gave him a warning smack.

Everyone thanked the red and white priestesses. Hachi ended up giving them a ride to where they needed to go. Inuyasha and Kagome filled them in on the details of their recent adventure. Since they needed to get Inuyasha's sword fixed, they also asked if they could borrow Kilala.

"Sure," said Sango. Inuyasha made it a point to pat Kilala on the head apologetically before getting on. They flew off to make the long journey to Totosai's. Before too long, Kagome complained that she was starting to get hungry so they stopped by a stream on a mountainside to catch some fish.

As they were casually roasting their catch, Rin came into view followed by Jakin. "Isn't that the girl who travels with Sesshomaru?" asked Kagome curiously.

"Rin!" shouted Jaken angrily. "Stop playing around and catch your fish."

"Oh my!" Rin stopped by the fire where the trio of Kagome, Inuyasha, and Kilala were sat. They stopped eating their fish midair. "You have some delicous-looking fish there," Rin said.

"Here," said Kagome thoughtfully handing Rin a roasted fish.

"Hey, that was mine," complained Inuyasha.

"You don't need two," was Kagome's retort.

"Yum," said Rin crunching into the fish happily. "This is delicious."

They were all just sitting around when Sesshomaru walked from the bushes. "Rin," he said simply.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" bubbled Jakin throwing himself down at his feet. Everyone ignored him.

"Come on Rin. We're going," said Sesshomaru sourly. He began to walk off with Rin not far behind. Jakin stumbled after him. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kilala resumed eating their fish.

**Author Notes-** Manga is a novel in fast-forward, and a movie in slow-mo. Fanfiction falls somewhere in between.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer-** I do not own the manga/ Anime series known as Inuyasha.

**Chapter 7: Love and Fire**

Rin was skipping merrily along when all of a sudden a big black shadow hovered behind her. She turned around and screamed. One of Naraku's incarnations leered at her. His attention rapidly turned to Sesshomaru who had moved in to grab his sword arm. He poofed and reappeared on the ground.

"Seems we have the same idea, Lord Sesshomaru." His eyes glimmered evilly. "Let's make this a decent duel." He whipped down his pike and sent a fire blast along the ground leaving a rut in it. Rin screamed and ran away. The villain moved in front of her and grabbed her up by the scruff of her neck.

"Little wench, why are you running?" he said slapping her and throwing her away from him. "Afraid to see your master slain?"

Sesshomaru growled and his eyes flashed. He slashed at the offending demon fiercely. They battled each other straight back to the campfire. Sesshomaru threw the incarnation into the fire and scattered the ashes.

"What the hell is going on?" shouted Inuyasha to Sesshomaru. He was ignored.

"Who is that demon?" asked Kagome quietly.

"It's another incarnation of Naraku from the smell of it," said Inuyasha running closer to the enemy.

"Inuyasha!" yelled Kagome after him.

"Stay out of this,"Sesshomaru said coldly. The incarnation merely smiled at the two of them.

"Come at me both of you then, if you dare. Neither one shall leave this place alive." He grinned in a very sprite-like way. He turned into a spire of flames that sucked into the campfire and vanished. The trees around them all caught on fire and a mirthful voice could be heard. "I am the master of fire. Come at me if you dare."

Everyone looked all around them and a cage of flames erupted around Kagome and Kilala. "Kagome!" cried out Inuyasha. He swiped through its bars for a moment but they reconnected. He then tried to force his shoulder through and the robe of the fire-rat let him pass into the cage.

"Are you okay?" said Inuyasha wrapping the cloak around the two of them. Kilala untransformed and hopped into Kagome's arms.

"Yeah," she said. Inuyasha gathered her up and leaped out of the containment of fire. It snuffed out as soon as they had broken through.

"Well, well," said Naraku's incarnation. "You saved your sweet woman. Good for you. Now make sure she keeps aside because it's time I challenge you with my pike." He whipped out a long staff with a curved blade and held out a hand behind him. He caused flames to go everywhere and he disappeared in the simmering before both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's eyes. Sesshomaru however wasn't fooled. He put away his sword and used his poison whip. He curved it into a wide encompassing circle which tightened instantaneously around the demon. The illusion dispelled and Naraku's incarnation could be seen ripping himself out of the loops. He held a hand up to an acid-burned arm.

"Go Lord Sesshomaru!" shouted Rin. She ducked as the clearing once more ignited in flames. Naraku's incarnation twirled around his pike and charged at Sesshomaru, flames roaring around his feet. He took to the air and Sesshomaru and he fought all over the sky. Jakin hastened to get Rin on Ah-Um and they ran away. Sesshomaru and Naraku's incarnation fought all the way to the cliff and over its edge. They were bouncing along the walls of the canyon causing rubble to fly everywhere. Naraku's incarnation smiled and pulled a folded paper box from his shirt.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should have kept to the ground dog-demon." He threw the box and sliced it. A strongly scented powder scattered into the air. Inuyasha began to tremble and cough beside Kagome.

"Inuyasha, are you all right?" she asked. Up in the air, Sesshomaru was falling. He managed to land on a cliff, but was near to blacking out. He steadied himself against a rock to keep himself up.

Naraku's incarnation floated up with an evil grin. He took his pike and lit it with fire. He chopped down towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha staggered back but was able to block with his sword sheath three times. His movements were sluggish however, and on the fourth strike he pierced Inuyasha through the side. Inuyasha held his wounded side as blood streamed everywhere.

"You. Damn you," muttered Inuyasha. When the pike came down again he grabbed hold of it. It was lit on fire again but he paid that no mind. Naraku's incarnation flew back up into the air and shook Inuyasha off his weapon. Inuyasha slid over the rockface and Kagome tried to catch his hand but failed. He slid down the cliff to land crumpled on a the same ledge where Sesshomaru was.

"Kilala," Kagome called. She flew on the fire cat down to where Inuyasha was.

When she got there however, she saw Inuyasha's eyes. With his Tetsusiaga broken, he had transformed into killer mode. He was dripping with blood and looked very wild. He bared his teeth even at her. "Inuyasha," she said uncertainly. The hanyou looked at his claws. He shook his head forcibly and for a moment seemed half awake.

"Ka..go..me. Run for it," he pleaded.

"No," Kagome said with tears in her eyes. "I would rather die with you than leave you alone."

"Hm, I could arrange that," said Naraku's incarnation evilly. He smirked and sent flying slices through the air toward the ledge Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Kagome were perched on. Most of it crumbled. Still transformed, Inuyasha caught hold of the cliff with one hand and Kagome with the other. His claws tensed and untensed on her skin. Shaking himself and moving slowly, he stood up on a rock just large enough to stand on. Kagome hugged onto his leg trying not to fall. Inuyasha's hand stopped just behind her neck.

"Run," he whispered carefully. His hand drifted down to his belt and he took out half of the broken Tetsusiaga. Eyes flashing from intense red to hints of gold, Inuyasha ran the Tetsusiaga through himself pinning him to the cliff.

"Go," he whispered to Kagome taking her hands, the red now gone from his eyes. "I could not bear it if I hurt you." He passed out.

"No," cried Kagome holding onto him. "I'll never, never leave you even if it means my death." She whipped out her bow and arrows and levied one towards a new onslaught of flying slices unleashed by Naraku's incarnation. Kagome's arrows streaked towards the shining slivers and scattered them as if they were shards from a mirror. Next, Kagome aimed for Naraku's incarnation himself. Her arrow sunk deep into his arm dissolving it. He stumbled back in pain but not defeat.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome pleaded. "Please take care of Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru nodded weakly. "It is a duty to stand by one's mate," he said. "Fight well." He used the last of his strength to wrench Inuyasha from the side of the cliff. He threw him on top of Kilala and hung on as they flew to higher ground.

Kagome watched in relief. She took out another arrow and fired it but missed. Naraku's incarnation came from below and swiped at her. She ducked down but her arrow bag was cut and tumbled into the valley below. Kagome said," uh oh," and sat up. She looked at Naraku's incarnation who was coming on with his next attack.

"Forgive me, Inuyasha," she said with tears in her eyes. A huge globe of pink light erupted around her. A spire of pinkish energy shot clean through Naraku's incarnation disintegrating him. Having used too much spiritual energy, she tilted and fell off the cliff just as the remaining cliff collapsed. Within a few moments, the entire cliff face cascaded down into the valley below.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer-** I do not own the manga/ Anime series known as Inuyasha.

**Chapter 8: Accepting Unity**

"Forgive me, Inuyasha," she said with tears in her eyes. A huge globe of pink light erupted around her. A spire of pinkish energy shot clean through Naraku's incarnation disintegrating him. Having used too much spiritual energy, she tilted and fell off the cliff just as the remaining ledge collapsed. Within a few moments, the entire cliff face cascaded down into the valley below.

Up on the top of the cliff, Sesshomaru found himself and his unconscious brother falling through the air again. The ground simply sunk beneath their feet. Kilala kicked off and wove them up out of the rubble which was folding in from either side. Kilala landed down in the valley on top of the debris field. She looked around.

Sesshomaru sat for about fifteen minutes clearing his head. Finally, he stood upright again. He reached down and yanked the piece of Tetsusiaga from Inuyasha's chest. He looked at the burns on his hand sourly as Inuyasha began to wake up.

"Kagome?" said Inuyasha palely. "Where's Kagome?" Sesshomaru lowered his hand.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but your former mate acted like a mate should and defended you. She is now buried beneath this rubble." He stood up intending to leave now he had recovered enough.

"What!" shouted Inuyasha. "No. Kagome. Kagome, where are you?" Frantically he began to sniff around and dig.

Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha piteously scramble around in terror. Inuyasha began to issue a series of anxious whines and unable to take the reduced state of his half-brother out of embarrassment, and also with a sense of respect for Kagome, Sesshomaru began to search too. He began to sniff through the air and thought he could catch something further downhill in the center of the valley. He picked up his brother by the belt and ran off with him after the scent.

"Hey, let me go," protested Inuyasha swiping at him with his claws.

"Silence," said Sesshomaru dropping him by the valley river. Kagome was lain out peacefully on a rock. She looked like she was sleeping. Some traces of a pink glow still flashed around her.

"Kagome!" yelled Inuyasha waking her up. He clutched her in his arms and pressed her against him.. "Are you all right?" he murmured running his hands through her hair. Unabashedly, he kissed her.

"Yeah," said Kagome.

"What happened?" asked Inuyasha.

"I'm not sure," said Kagome. "I was passed out."

"It's obvious," aid Sesshomaru breaking in. He looked up at the slope. The others turned to look too. There was a long straight line torn into the ground as if made by a sphere. "Her protective barrier must have cushioned her fall and rolled her here."

Kagome kept her head happily against Inuyasha's warm chest. She felt like purring. "Inuyasha," she said quietly, "I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" he asked. Kagome whispered in his ear but Sesshomaru could hear anyway.

"Remember you promised me I could decide when I was ready to have your children? Well I'm ready. As soon as I'm rested up you pick the time and place." She snuggled up against him and Inuyasha blanched but then decided to nuzzle her instead. Sesshomaru took off.

"I'm in no hurry," he said head nested against hers. They waited patiently until both of them had recovered strength before continuing on to old Totosai's. Finally, the Tetsusiaga repaired, they flew back on Kilala towards Sango's village. A day's ningen walking distance away, Inuyasha had Kilala drop them off. "We have some things to do," he told the fire cat winking. Kilala growled with understanding and flew off.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome uncertainly. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten already?" He answered. "Remember what you told me a few days ago about being ready?" Kagome flushed.

"But you said you were in no hurry!" she protested.

"I know," said Inuyasha coming up to clasp her to him. "But you know I am impatient, so no hurry can mean a short amount of time." Kagome breathed in sharply and looked up at him.

"I've never done this before," she said nervously.

"Nether have I," he confessed.

Kagome softened. "Don't worry. You're half demon. I'm sure your instincts will kick in." She looked around at the ground. It was relatively soft meadow.

"Here?" she asked uncertainly.

"Do you have a blanket in your pack?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded.

Together they unfolded the ground sheet normally used for picnics. She sat down and nervously smoothed it with her hand. Inuyasha sat down next to her and after a few minutes, they stopped avoiding each other's gaze and looked towards each other.

"Are you sure?" said Kagome voice trembling.

"Yes," said Inuyasha looking back towards her. Kagome reached out with trembling fingers and began to untie Inuyasha' belt. Slowly, slowly, she pulled down his pants and folded them up. She added his shirt and her garments to a growing pile of clothes.

"There," said Kagome trembling all over. Tensely, she reached out and carefully unwound Inuyasha's last bit of clothing. Holding his loincloth in her hand she caught herself staring at his privates with an odd fascination, the wind was rising in her ears.

Inuyasha could sense her apprehension and as tense as he was about this too, he could not help but worry about her more. On instinct, he sought to reassure her. He pressed himself against her and in the absence of clothing, this time his arousal was obvious. He blushed as a pulse passed between them.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome. Hot breath caught between them and she leaned forward to kiss him. The shuttering pulse increased rocking them and leaving a hurricane in their ears as they continued to pant each other's name.

"Kagome. Could I?" Timidly, Inuyasha lifted a finger and flicked back a strand of her hair dripping over her shoulder. She leaned up as he did and their lips met, softly, as his hands began caressing her shoulders, running over and over the round muscles her practice in archery had formed. Her hands returned the favor, gliding down to caress his back and featherweave his sides.

Nodding, they both explored their lips, them nibbling, worked their way up and down cheeks, nuzzling. With a tender nip, Kagome teased his earlobe and with a sharp yip found herself on the ground below him with both wrists pressed above her. She stared up into his impassioned glower only moments before his lips crashed into her own and begin to take from her, extorting her to give to him. Moaning, she opened her her lips and stroked his tongue with her own as it slid into her.

The feel of his tongue on hers, his lips, his teeth gently biting and suckling was incredible. Her cheeks blazed red and her chest heaved only adding to her fevor as her hands fought against his skin, trying to draw him closer. He buried his clawed hand in her hair and held her near, but Kagome ignored the slight tension as the pain paled in light of her desperation.

A ragged gasp for breath drew from both and they drew apart briefly. A green skirt fell, followed by a shirt as it was tossed heartfully only to flutter away on the breeze like some triumphant flag. A bra snapped and she lay down for him as his lips came to press against her snowy mounds, suckling and adoring them. She looped her arms around his neck and pressed him down, stealing his attention back from her tender crests to her mouth, her lips, her satiny tresses which he kissed again and again. Slithering down on her, he allowed himself to be enveloped in her welcoming arms. Holding himself up on either side, he drew her knees open and kneeled within, panting.

"Kagome, are you sure this is what you want?" Mindlessness consumed him so he was hardly aware of her answer.

"It's what I've wanted for so long." A set of sweaty palms rose to his abdomen and it was all Inuyasha needed, all he could understand.

Lemon here, removed so this story stays here.

At last they untangled themselves and just lay beside each other while their sweat dried.

Kagome sat up and looked down at the resting Inuyasha, letting her hair drape down onto his chest. They both stared quietly, lovingly into each other's eyes for quite some time. Kagome shuttered with pleasure as he reached up a hand and stroked the side of her face. She leaned in as Inuyasha lay a few more kisses to her lips and licked her nipple. Mischievously, Kagome settled on top of him to scratch him with her toes. She tumbled off and pushed back the hair from her face.

"So," she said quietly. "What are we going to do? Tell Miroku and Songo."

"No," said Inuyasha loudly. To insure there was no misunderstanding, he pulled her sitting upright against him and smothered her with a few kisses. "It's just that they don't need to know," he said looking at her. "Not yet anyway."

Kagome slid back and stood up. She walked away from him and picked up her clothes. She tossed his to him as well. Her fingers trembled again as she ran up the zipper to her skirt. Life would never be the same again. She had lost something, or maybe she had gained something? She stood looking down at her shoes when suddenly Inuyasha came up behind her. He was fully dressed again. Reassuringly, he pressed her to his waist.

"Don't worry," he said clearly so she could hear every syllable. "I promise I will always take care of you." She relaxed in his arms. Of course she knew she could trust him. There are men who will lie, saying this without intending to be to true to it, or being too weak to do so. But she knew Inuyasha was not one of those men. Inuyasha was the other side of herself. Long before they had reached this personal intimacy, they had shared intimacy of soul.

They went back to Sango's village and refused to say where they were. Sango and Miroku looked at them strangely and left it at that. They surmised, correctly, that it was just another detail of their complicated relationship. Far from what they thought, they had not had another argument however.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer-** I do not own the manga/ Anime series known as Inuyasha.

**Chapter 9: A New Addition to Inu-taichi**

Some measure of the truth began to get out as time went on. Within only a matter of weeks Kagome began to expand in girth. Shippo whined incessantly that Kagome's smell had changed and that Inuyasha somehow had something to do with it.

Quietly, after dark one night, Kagome spoke to him before going to sleep. "Do you think I'm pregnant?" she asked boldly.

"I know you are," said Inuyasha proudly.

"How do you know?" asked Kagome.

"The smell," said Inuyasha simply.

"Are you being nice to me because of that?" said Kagome frowning. He had been pampering her of late.

"No," said Inuyasha not even bothering to think deeply. His next words however rang true. "There is other woman I would rather have a child with." He rubbed his face along her neck and licked the mark that had formed there. "I chose you for my partner."

Kagome sighed happily and went to sleep. In the morning, she broke the news to Sango and Miroku. There were mixed emotions. They were shocked, joyful, dismayed. Shippo was wrath for a while that Inuyasha had taken advantage of her but after Kagome had reassured him that they were proper mates, showing him the mark, Shippo had been overjoyed. "I'm going to call you okasan," he said throwing himself into her arms. "Remember, even though you have other pups, I'm your first son." Inuyasha frowned but said nothing against it.

In the afternoon, they kindly stopped to rest as Kagome was tired. Kagome sat down beside Inuyasha. She leaned against him and he rubbed her abdomen fondly.

"You should eat something," Inuyasha fussed.

"I'm fine," said Kagome more tired than anything else.

"No really," said Inuyasha. "Demon children grow more quickly within the mother than human babies do, so there's no telling how rapid the pregnancy will be." Kagome sighed and Inuyasha dug through her backpack to find something to eat.

He was right about the pregnancy. In only six months Kagome filled out and began to feel contractions. Blissfully, there was only one child because in the last week of the sixth month, Kagome gave birth to a perfect tiny boy. He looked almost human except for his gold-colored eyes, just like his father. Miroku, Sango, Kilala, and even Shippo rejoiced with them but there was a dark undertone. Everyone was thinking the same thing. How to keep this new addition to their group safe from Naraku.

In the short term, Kagome and Inuyasha had more important things in mind. Such as taking the little one through the well to meet its grandmother, uncle, and great-grandfather. Kagome's side of the family absolutely adored him, despite Grandpa's reservations. They decided to renovate Kagome's old bedroom for the new family's use.

For Kagome, the visit was filled with great joy and great sadness. Sorrowfully, she withdrew from school. She now had a family, an extraordinary family, and could not retain these shreds of an ordinary life. She said goodbye to her old school friends, not wanting to share the truth with them. In these days, not many sixteen-year olds had children. It seemed the Sengoku Jidai would be the only land she would be able to freely roam. It was a land fraught with dangers, and she worried about it with a mother's heart.

They had named their son Aijo, meaning love or affection. He meant everything in the world to them. Since he had come into the light, he had reshaped their entire cause for existence. Revenge, grudges, or loves lost meant little to them anymore. Instead, the world centered around this thought, that they make it as good for their son as possible. They wanted to see him grow up heathy, strong, and completely confident that he was loved. Kagome also hoped he had a bit more sense than his father. She would know in time. Every moment they spent with their new son was a blessing. The sun's source was at Higurashi Shrine.

Still, they knew they could not remain motionless. Songo, Miroku, Kohaku, Kikyo, and so many innocents were counting on them. There were promises to keep. So sadly and with great trepidation, Inuyasha and Kagome strapped their little one in a baby carrier, filled the diaper bag and many bags besides with baby things, and hopped down th well to the Sengoku Jidai.

"Hello, little fellow," said Miroku smiling down at Aijo on their return. "Inuyasha, you have a wonderful son. I'm envious. Sango, would you..."

"Spare me," said Sango loudly. "When we get married, AFTER we defeat Naraku we can speak of such things."

"Right Sango," said Miroku defeated. "Ready to go Inuyasha? Kagome?"

"Yep," said Inuyasha lifting up with ease a pack that must have weighed half a ton. "Did we bring enough?" he asked Kagome without sarcasm.

"Yep," said Kagome. She hefted the baby carrier onto her back and made sure it was secured tightly. Then she climbed on Inuyasha's back.

"Now go slow at first," she scolded.

"Sure," said Inuyasha. They started off, anxious the movement might hurt their tender son. However, instead of being frightened he began to laugh a small bubbly laugh wildly. Inuyasha grinned.

"You like that, do you?" he said speeding up.

"Inuyasha, be careful," Kagome fussed.

"It's all right Kagome," Inuyasha reassured her. He leapt up into a tree and Then down again. "It's a small tree. He likes it, see?" Indeed the little one did. He squealed and cooed.

"That's my boy," said Inuyasha proudly. Kagome lay her head on Inuyasha's shoulder and smiled.

They journeyed for several days. They had to frequently stop to rest for th baby's sake. Sometimes he would fuss and often he would need feeding or changing. But they still made decent enough time to get to their destination only a day late from what it would have taken originally. There was a small village somewhat near to Koga's mountains where demons were rumored to be keeping villagers and attendants from reaching a small shrine. Somehow Kagome was uptight about it. "Kikyo," was her only thought.

Instead of sleeping in the woods when they reached their destination, Inuyasha insisted that they stay at an inn. For once, he didn't complain much about Miroku having gotten the room in shifty ways. He was much more concerned about having a warm bed for his son.

"Shh, shh, shh," said Inuyasha in the evening tapping his foot. He lay sprawled out along the floor, one arm wrapped around Kagome. He blocked the view from the others while Kagome suckled Aijo. The sound was soothing, warming to him as he looked fondly on what was his. His heart swelled with pride as he looked down on his family.

Shippo these days was hanging out with Sango and Miroku more. Though the kitsune snuggled up with the family at night and called Kagome okasan, he told her that he was a big kid now, a brave and ferocious youkai. He also complained that the baby was too noisy. When Inuyasha heard that, he commented dryly, "Gee, maybe we should have two more." Kagome sat him for that. She could hardly believe she had chosen him for fathering material.

As everyone relaxed for the evening, a knock was heard on the door. An attendant of the inn, of course a pretty young woman, rolled back the door and bowed.

"Excuse me, but a letter has arrived for you from our village elder. He is secluded in mourning after the death of his youngest daughter. His messenger said that he is greatly desirous to obtain your services and has agreed to pay forty gold coins for your aid." The serving girl bowed out politely after having delivered the scroll to Miroku. Miroku opened the scroll interestedly.

"Inuyasha," he called. "May I speak to you a minute?" With the serious tone of his voice, he could have added, "good sir," at the end.

"What is it Miroku?" said Inuyasha all business. He temporarily left his family after tucking a cover securely around them. He leaned over Miroku's shoulder to read the note.

**Author Notes-** I know Kagome's pregnancy and Aijo's birth are disappointedly hurried but there are a million other pregnancy stories on FFN and I do not want to be a copier off them. They are an excellent source of warm fuzzy and I highly recommend them to the discerning reader.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer-** I do not own the manga/ Anime series known as Inuyasha.

**Chapter 10: Moving On to Higher Fields**

"Someone has been stealing the souls of the dead women," said Miroku quietly. "It appears that the soul of the village elder's daughter already has been taken."

Inuyasha didn't say anything for a minute. Then he intoned as quietly as he could, "do you think it could be Kikyo?"

"It is possible," said Miroku rolling up the scroll. "In any event, we should investigate."

Inuyasha looked over at his family and said the unexpected. "In the morning. I don't want to leave them unprotected." Miroku smiled an all-knowing smile. Across the room, Kagome lifted an arm and let Aijo crawl across the floor to his father. He was already very strong.

They all woke uneasily the next day. A thick fog had rolled in and the whine of soul collectors streaming through the air could be heard. When the soul collectors disappeared, so did the fog.

Inuyasha stood up with lines of worry on his face. He slid his sword and scabbard into his belt. "Coming Kagome," he asked quietly. The mother of his son shook her head yes.

Inuyasha waited until Aijo was safely strapped into his harness before lifting him and his mother onto his back. He paused at the doorway momentarily. He knew already this might be one of the hardest meetings of his life.

They all made their way to the small shrine the soul collectors were guarding. A barrier was stretched around it. "Kagome?" murmured Inuyasha softly. She shook her head with understanding and leaned forward. The barrier eroded away at the touch of her hand. Sango and Miroku kept back a pace while Inuyasha and Kagome led. They all felt somehow that this was a day for resolution.

They reached the temple steps. Suddenly a figure appeared out of the mists. It was Kikyo. Her servants swirled about her as usual.

"Inuyasha," she breathed. Only this time it was different. After a moment, she also added, "Kagome."

Kagome panicked in her confusion. She felt worse when Inuyasha shifted beneath her uneasily. Why was it always like this? As if it was a dirty little secret that they were together? Kikyo had died ages ago. She should have no claim on him. After all, he had chosen herself over going to hell with Kikyo.

"Kikyo," began Inuyasha uncertainly. Kagome's heart sunk, but then hope swelled within it as Inuyasha taughtened beneath her with resolution. His next words were spoken almost with pride.

"Things can no longer be the same Kikyo.. Kagome and I will do all that we can to help you. We both know that I failed you," he looked away in shame but continued on steadily," but I can no longer chase on trying to make amends for that failure. I have a family that needs me. There was once a time I would have given my life to save your soul. It is no longer mine to give." He looked away with some guilt remaining.

"I understand," said Kikyo flatly. Her tone was eerie in its sense of resignation. She took a few steps down the stairs, descending towards Kagome and little Aijo. Inuyasha tensed with suspicion. Kikyo swayed to a stop speaking to Kagome.

"I held on," said Kikyo. "I had no idea what for. I knew I had lost him to you, that I no longer belonged on this earth. I found nothing but pain and sadness in this rebirth. Yet, I continued on for some purpose I could not understand. But now I know."

Kikyo looked deeply at the face of the child in Kagome's arms. Her own face was etched with so much pain Kagome thought she might have broken into tears.

"So this is what my son might have looked like if I had lived. May I... Hold him?" she asked uncertainly.

Kagome's fearful mothering instinct was strong, but at this moment the link between Kikyo's soul and her own was even stronger. It felt as if the soul of the long-dead miko had retied itself with hers. She could feel Kikyo's pain and longing. She shocked Inuyasha and herself by handing Aijo to the woman. "Here," she said softly. "Be careful."

Kikyo cradled the infant as if it were the most precious thing in the world. She rocked him gently by her heart and tears pooled. She quickly handed the child back to Kagome.

"Thank you," she said voice breaking. "Take care of him. Inuyasha," she said turning to the hanyou, "forgive me." Tears streaked down her face and a glowing web of cracks spread along her body.

"Wait, where are you going?" shouted Inuyasha in panic.

"Home," Kikyo replied. She smiled and closed her eyes to break into a thousand pieces of pottery clay. The clay swirled up in the air, turning into dust. A whirlwind descended to the ground. It left behind a neat little pile of Kikyo's funery ashes. A blue orb condensed out of the air above them and bled into Kagome. Kagome laid a hand over her heart. "I won't forget," said she.

"First time huh?" said Kagome turning to look at Inuyasha. He looked flustered.

"I was telling the truth okay? It was not like I didn't offer, she just wanted to wait for her wedding day because I was still a half-demon. She's just wishing she had taken my offer. Kikyo was like that, always playing with children and saying how she would like to have one of her own. She was getting old for a single woman you know." He looked away with his ears pinned back.

"Hm," said Kagome looking at him with her eyes squinted in suspicion. In the end, she decided it didn't matter. He was hers now.

Inuyasha and Kagome swept the pile of ashes into a jar and carried them back to Kaede for burial. The old priestess was very glad to have her sister's remains back at last. The villagers built a new marker for her tomb, and Kagome and Inuyasha both laid flowers on her grave.

"She lives on you know," said Kagome laying a hand over her heart. "I can feel her here, asleep at last. Rest well Kikyo," she added. Inuyasha nodded. Aijo reached out a hand and pulled Kagome's hair to remind her he needed feeding.

"Ow!" said Kagome irritably. "Will you tell your son to stop tormenting me?" she jested. They walked back down to village where they could relax..

They enjoyed a quiet evening together. In the early morning however, Kaede's hut was approached by a young village woman. "Please," the woman pleaded. "Priestess Kaede, my sister has gone into childbirth." The old woman nodded and called to Kagome.

"Kagome, as a priestess and a woman with your own child, surely ye can assist me?" Kagome nodded her head.

"You mean help to midwife?" Kagome asked Kaede.

"Yea priestess," Kaede said. Kagome stopped. She realized now that she would never more hear the words, "yea child," directed toward her. She was on a different level now. She could feel it in the gaze of the village woman seated across from her. It was as if she had entered some sort of knit, the society of mothers. It was as if everyone now acknowledged her as mature, whether or not that was true.

So Kagome got up and went to the door with Kaede. Kaede and the villager ducked out, but just as she was about to follow Inuyasha caught her wrist.

"You and Aijo be careful, all right," he told her. He pulled her closer so he could steal a kiss.

"We will," said Kagome rubbing her bangs against his forehead in reciprocal affection. She sat there a moment before adding, "Uh, Inuyasha, let me go."

"Right," said Inuyasha loosening his hold on her waist. He watched her disappear anxiously. "Come back quickly," he called.

If Inuyasha had been edgy and impatient about Kagome being absent from his side when he was only a boyfriend, it was nothing compared to now. Sango and Miroku found him impossible to control. He paced, he ranted, he ate everything in the house. Finally, he resorted to chewing into pieces the sparse furniture. Sango and Miroku let him after endlessly yelling at him for raking his claws against the floor and walls. They really didn't feel like rebuilding Kaede's hut.

When Inuyasha had run out of storage containers to chew on, Miroku and Sango threw him out of the hut. "Fine," they said.. "Go spy on Kagome. We won't stop you anymore." Earlier they had encouraged the hanyou to be patient but they were worn thin.

Inuyasha bounded off into the sky now turning red streaked with yellow. In less than half a minute he landed outside the hut where Kagome, Aijo, and Kaede were. Kagome looked out the window at the loud thunk. She wiped her hands off on a towel and stood up. She picked up Aijo and walked outside.

"Hey," she said sitting down next to Inuyasha holding Aijo on her lap. "What are you doing here?"

"Picking you up," he said impatiently. Kagome nodded.

"It's over now. The baby is a heathy one. A girl." Kagome smiled. "I kind of would like a girl myself. But I'm glad Aijo is a boy." Inuyasha didn't say anything and she wondered what he was thinking. They both got up and began to walk down the road. Aijo cooed and giggled from his carrier.

It was a quiet evening. The villagers had already returned from their fields. For a long time, Kagome and Inuyasha both walked along beside each other wrapped in their individual thoughts. Then Kagome broke the silence. "It's strange," said Kagome. "A funeral one day and a birth the next."

"Life is like that I suppose," murmured Inuyasha before relapsing into silence. Kagome looked at him curiously a few minutes before pulling a pink plastic container from her pocket. She snapped it open and deliberately counted out loud.

"One, two, three," she went on. "Yup. I've kept up. How about we ask Miroku and Sango to babysit tonight? All we need is a few hours."

Inuyasha stepped up beside her and caught her wrist. "You know, you're more attractive now that we have Aijo," Inuyasha whispered in her ear flecking it with the tip of his tongue. "I think I'm going to need more than a few hours." Kagome blushed. She got her revenge when Aijo reached out and pulled Inuyasha's hair. "Yow!" he complained.

Wherever they went, Inuyasha and Kagome always managed to find enemies. They quickly established a fighting order. Kagome would run to the rear with Aijo and her arrows out. Sango and Miroku would stand protectively in front of her while Inuyasha took most of the offensive. At times, Sango and Miroku would join in or Inuyasha would switch places with Kagome. Sango would fly back with Kilala to pick her up while Inuyasha would pout about having to hold Aijo.

One would expect their fighting to be weakened because of this great vulnerability. However, much to the contrary everyone in the party suddenly fought all the harder. Overnight, Kagome managed to get her miko powers under control. She could now blast most of her opponents away in one flawless shot. She could put up barriers at will. She even found out she could do little seemingly senseless spells such as making all the flowers all face one way or causing things to grow. Perhaps she was benefiting from Kikyo's training. For Inuyasha's part, just as his powers increased when he had Kagome to protect, his powers tripled when he had a whole family to look after. The amount of energy he was able to draw into his sword was incredible. Kagome fretted about all the hills that disappeared from his unnatural disasters when he unleashed the windscar.

Even little Shippo was stronger. Since he too sensed he had more duty to protect, he channeled energy into developing as a warrior. Soon his little flame of fox-fire grew into an spire of twisting flames ready to be unleashed at his command. At his insistence, they all promised to think of a new weapon for the little kitsune. They were all having a difficult time with ideas when they stumbled across one accidentally.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 11: A Hidden Village**

They were wandering somewhere up in the mountains when Inuyasha noted that for someplace that should be demon territory, there were few demons. Instead, there was the scent everywhere of an army of humans. The strange thing about it was that they couldn't find anyone. They continued on cautiously when suddenly Inuyasha stepped onto some ground in a clearing covered with leaf litter. There was a click, and within moments the hanyou was swung up in the air as a noose trap tightened around his ankle. He was left hanging upside down with a very displeased scowl on his face.

Aijo pointed a finger and laughed. Everyone else was trying to resist laughing at Inuyasha swaying up in the trees. But eventually Sango let out a loud snicker and Miroku started chortling. Shippo joined in followed by Kagome.

"It's not funny," said Inuyasha plastering his ears back. They only laughed all the more.

"Okay," Miroku choked out at last wiping his eyes. "I'll get you down."

"Don't need to monk," said Inuyasha tersely. He cut the binding from his ankle with a slash of his claws. He started to fall rapidly but he tumbled and landed on his hand. He pushed off and flipped around again to land splayed on his back feet. Aijo cooed happily.

"We'll have to be careful," said Inuyasha seriously. "That trap could have been lain by a ninja. If so, there may be pitfalls and trip lines to trigger weapons." Nobody was laughing anymore.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome reassured him. "We'll be careful. Still, maybe you had better go first Inuyasha." She smiled at him.

"Yes, excellent idea," said Miroku.

"Yes," agreed Sango.

"Gee, thanks for being so concerned about me," said the hanyou dryly.

"Stop complaining," said Kagome pushing him ahead of the others. "You're more hardy than the rest of us, remember?" She shoved him abruptly forward.

"Yeah, yeah," said Inuyasha grumpily.

As they went, they found a few pitfalls as predicted by Inuyasha. Sango nearly stepped into a noose trap as Inuyasha had. "Thank goodness," she said wiping sweat from her brow at the narrow evasion. "I'm wearing my kimono today."

"Yes," Miroku sighed mournfully. Sango conked him into the ground.

"Stop playing around you two," Shippo said sternly. He ran forward on all fours only to stumble over a trip line. Shippo freaked as a line of Chinese throwing daggers hit the trees around him. They were the circle-shaped ones with jagged edges.

"Yaha!" the little one shouted after the fact. His hair stood all up. Inuyasha ignored him but pulled one of the circles out of the tree. He looked at it curiously and held it over the kitsune's head.

"You're too scrimpy for a sword, but maybe one of these will do."

"Hey!" said Shippo heatedly. Still he took one of the daggers from Inuyasha. He looked at it curiously and began to get excited.

"Hey!" Shippo cried happily. "I can make weapons like these but with fox magic in them like my top." He pulled down all the daggers he could reach and tucked them in his vest.

Shippo was trying to reach a fourth one when suddenly Inuyasha pushed him down into the ground. "Sh!" said Inuyasha sternly. "Someone is out there."

Everyone heard what he said and looked around nervously. Kagome backed up against Inuyasha with Aijo. Laughter abruptly rang from the trees. A woman in ninja clothes appeared.

"So you sensed my presence, huh?" said the woman with amusement. "Since you are trespassing on our lands, perhaps you could tell me who or what you are." She smiled a sly little smile. "You seem an odd lot for a war party." She looked at Inuyasha's ears and then over to Shippo cowering behind him. Her eyes ended to rest on the baby carrier on Kagome's back. She could not see Aijo from there, but she could hear him cooing. Her smile widened into a grin.

"You carry weapons and yet you bring a child, no two children with you. How interesting." She ran her fingers through a long pony tail. "A monk, a priestess, a demon-slayer, and an assortment of demons. This surely must be an unprecedented alliance."

"No not really," said Inuyasha shaking a fist. "What is common is to hear such comments from people like you."

"Temper, temper," said the woman narrowing her eyes evilly. "Remember, you are the trespassers here. I must tell you that my people is intolerant of such wrongs. You will be indeed fortunate to leave this place alive."

Inuyasha looked ready to say something else but Miroku thrust out an arm in front of him to cause him to hesitate.

"What do you mean by that?" Miroku asked sternly. "We did not come to this place with ill intentions. Indeed, we have no idea who your people are."

The ninja woman smiled looking pleased again. She began to run off, leaping through the trees. "Come to the top of the mountain if you want to know," she called back over her shoulder.

"Wait!" Inuyasha leapt past Miroku after the girl. She saw him in pursuit and grinned. She pulled a gunpowder grenade out of her pocket and threw it at him so she could disappear without a trace under the cover of smoke and noise.

"Damn," said Inuyasha coughing.

"Are you all right?" Kagome asked. She used a handkerchief to wipe the soot off his face.

"Yeah," he said distractedly. "But she got away."

"No matter," said Miroku. "We know where to find her.

Far away, the ninja looked through a telescope at Inuyasha talking. "That demon is strong," she mused before leaping away again. She whistled and a giant white weasel appeared. She leapt on its back and rode away.

Inuyasha's group began to make their way to the top of the mountain. As much as Inuyasha would have liked to hurry, he conceded to Sango and Miroku who insisted that they take their time in getting there. The humans had better sense than to exhaust themselves before the likely battle. So they hiked up the mountain at their usual pace. Along the way, they had the continual sense that they were being watched from as distance.

At last they came upon a cliff high up on the mountain which Inuyasha insisted was covered with scent from dozens of people. It was just a tiny trace, barely detectable with the eye where ground had been compressed by tramping feet to exclude vegetation. Inuyasha was down on all fours sniffing the ground when out of the blue the scent of many humans flooded to his nose. He had just gotten up on his feet when about fifty battle ready ninjas surrounded them. The woman ninja from before was at their lead.

"You will follow us," commanded the woman ninja. Her amused smile was back as she stood with a hand to her hip.

The group of ninjas led them to a fortressed village built into one of the cliffs. It had high walls made out of logs with spiked tips as Sango's village did. However, unlike her village there were two sets of gates so that anyone entering the first could be attacked from above while they tried to go through the second. They all looked uneasily up at the pots on the walls which could be filled with boiling oil. However, they passed through both of the gates without incident and into sight of the town.

"Wow," Kagome breathed. Everyone agreed with her.

There must have been a population of about 150 warriors and their families. There were rows upon rows of tiered houses in clean disciplined streets. Several water towers and numerous lookouts peaked into the sky, as well as a small temple. After weaving around numerous roads made dizzy with a zig-zag pattern, they came in front of an awe-inspiring manor. It was the chief training facility they were told. At last they were settled in a receiving hall. Inuyasha could hear many people moving behind concealed doors and up in the roof in hidden panels. He tightened a hand around Kagome's arm anxiously without realizing. She shooed him off so she could sit in her place properly.

All of Inuyasha's party was very uptight. They sat there tensely until a ninja with grey hair spoke. He was seated in the place of honor, surrounded by his best supporters. The woman ninja from earlier sat down among the best of his men.

In essence, the leader introduced himself as such. He then proceeded to grill them with questions. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"We are a traveling band of demons-exterminators-for-hire," said Miroku simply. "Sango here is trained as a demon-slayer. I myself am a monk. Kagome is a priestess. Inuyasha here accompanies us and aids us in battle, as does Shippo and Kilala." The two fluffy ones puffed up trying to look impressive. It only served to make them more cute.

"I see you also have an infant with you," pointed out the leader.

"Ah yes," said Miroku. He paused, unsure of how to explain. "Aijo is the son of Inuyasha and Kagome," he put simply.

"A priestess and a demon?" asked the leader blandly to hide the importance.

"A hanyou actually," said Miroku. "Inuyasha is the son of the late demon lord who once held the title of Lord of the Western Lands. His name is held in respect by some demons still." Kagome smiled. She deeply appreciated what Miroku was doing for Inuyasha.

"Tell me," said the leader frowning. "Why would a priestess, or a monk or demon-slayer either, ally themselves with their enemy? For a priestess to choose to blend her blood with that of a demon is unthinkable."

"Excuse you," said Inuyasha temper rising. The ninjas around rattled their weapons ominously but he paid them no mind in the heat of his anger. "Who are you to judge? I can do what I want, human."

The leader held out a hand to silence his men. "So you forced her to it?" he asked coldly.

"Ha. Shows what you know. If anything, she caught me. I was minding my own business, sealed to a tree when she came along and unbound me. I tried to kill her..."

"Tried to kill her?" the leader interrupted.

"Yes, she was the incarnation of the woman who had killed me, what would you do? So I went after her to steal the jewel."

"The sacred jewel?" the leader interrupted. Inuyasha realized his interest and cunningly waved a hand to divert attention. "It shattered ages ago thanks to our fighting over it. But she threw this collar over me and bound me to her. So I became her servant for all eternity as far as I knew. She drags me around and sits me for no reason at all." He put particular emphasis on the last word. Kagome looked away. The loudmouth would get sat tonight, that was for sure.

"So are you trying to say she forced you into this relationship?" the ninja leader asked.

"No," said Inuyasha blushing. He hastened with his words. "In time, I found out that the woman who had killed me actually was murdered. She had left me for dead thinking I had betrayed her. I became determined to avenge her after her spirit became separated from Kagome's. We, Kagome and I that is, traveled until we found others who had the same enemy. We all desire vengeance, for one reason or another." Inuyasha tightened one hand into a fist but then dropped it.

"But as I went on I became closer and closer to Kagome. We fought in battle side by side. She was the strongest woman I had ever known. She was even stronger than me. She was there beside me no matter what. She bound my wounds when I was close to death. She brought me back to my senses. She even took an arrow for me. More than that, she always forgave me. She accepted me for what I am though I am despised by both demons and man. She calmed my spirit. She made me strong. So I fell in love with Kagome and claimed her for my own."

Inuyasha stopped when he felt pressure on his arm. He looked over at Kagome and she spoke loudly for all in the room to hear.

"What Inuyasha is saying is that we both agreed to our marriage." She continued on thoughtfully. "It is an unusual situation but perhaps it is easier for me because I was not born in this world."

"I think it's more because of your pureness of heart Kagome," said Miroku thoughtfully. "The purity of you heart balances out the demon in his own."

"Kind of like ying-yang?" asked Kagome.

The ruler of the ninjas looked down at them talking and wondered, "Who are these people? Surely they must be extraordinary beings!"

"How did the other members of your party come to join?" he asked finally.

"I am a monk whose entire family has been cursed by a demon. I am the last of my line. I joined seeking vengeance on the very same demon who caused Inuyasha to be pinned to a tree fifty years ago and Kagome's previous incarnation to die. Sango similarly has suffered. She lost her family and her entire village to Naraku, leaving her the soul survivor. Naraku controls her brother in a state of undeath," he ended quietly. Sango was teary-eyed behind him he knew.

"What of the demons?" the leader asked.

Miroku straightened up and continued on more brightly. "Kilala is a trained demon. She aids Sango in battle. Shippo lost his father and was adopted by Kagome and Inuyasha long before I met them. He also aids in battle." Shippo puffed up proudly.

The leader of the ninjas leaned back in thought, preparing his conclusion for the meeting. "It is getting late," he began. "I will see to it that lodging and food are prepared for you. I will summon for you again. There are many things we must speak of before I let you go free. However, first I wish to say in the sight of all my people." He paused dramatically. "That we are honored to have such brave warriors among us." Everyone was taken aback. Inuyasha almost fainted from surprise. The leader continued.

"You have suffered much and yet continue on with courage. Your resolve to vanquish your enemy is inspiration for us all. You loyalty to each other is commendable." The leader held out his arms.

"This my people is an elite group of fighting warriors. Our ninja ways are secret yet revered. As a leader I do all I can to teach them discipline, respect, and oneness with our brethren. Of all things most we exalt strength. If your skills are indeed as strong as your hearts, then we can hold but adoration for you. Welcome, our fellow warriors."

The lady ninja looked stunned but pleased. The assembly was dismissed, and as Inuyasha's group was led out, she jogged up to Kagome. Her long ponytail swayed as she walked.

"So you're really that strong a priestess?" she asked Kagome in awe.

"Yep," sad Kagome brightly. "I'm much better than I once was anyway. I can take care of most demons like that," she said snapping her fingers. "Only for really strong opponents or really tricky ones I rely on the others to help me. They're powerful and they know a lot. We still haven't been able to down Naraku however."

"Naraku?" asked the woman ninja. "Who is that?" Kagome tried to explain the best she could. But how do you explain Naraku? He's more like a thing than a who.

"We'll keep an eye out for him," the ninja warrior assured her. "By the way, my name's Michiyo. I'm one of the most talented ninjas here."

"Really?" asked Sango interested.

"Yes," said Michiyo smugly, "and that reminds me. I want to challenge you to a duel."

"Me?" asked Sango.

"Yes," said Michiyo. "You and Kilala will face Yunagi and me in nonfatal combat. I am the best demon handler around and my Yunagi and me will wipe the floor with you." "

"Well," she added. "Maybe we're not the best around. Sorry Kagome."

"Hey! She is not a handler!" protested Inuyasha.

"Sit boy," said Kagome.

Michiyo turned and gave orders to prepare for battle at dawn the next day. Then she disappeared. Everyone just settled in for the night at the apartment they had been appointed. There was no sense in worrying about it they knew.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 12- In Pursuit of Glory**

In the morning, Inuyasha shoved a sleeping Shippo off him. He got up and stretched. He stopped to pet Kilala who was mewing at him anxiously.

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "You'll do fine."

Aijo woke up soon after that and crawled over to bury his head in Kilala's fur. "Don't pull," Inuyasha said guiding his son's hand over the fur. Kilala eyed the infant nervously. She had seen what Aijo had done to Inuyasha's hair before.

"Mew," said Kilala running out the door in terror just as Kagome and Shippo got up. Sango walked in the door a minute later. "Has anyone seen Kilala?" she asked.

"Yeah, she went flying out the door a minute ago," Inuyasha said rubbing the back of his head. "Don't blame her." Sango had no idea what he was talking about but she didn't ask. Instead, she went out to look for the two-tail.

Miroku came in lugging a pail of water. "Why am I stuck doing the chores today?" he complained loudly.

"Because you're unmarried and have nothing better to do than fondle the backside of your fiancé," said Inuyasha unmoved.

"You have no sense of pity do you?" asked Miroku slopping the water on the fire to extinguish it.

Very early in the morning, Michiyo returned flanked by a huge, white weasel demon. With great pride, she introduced her as Yunagi. "Come on," she said to Inuyasha's group and the ninjas she had brought along. "It's time for our challenge to begin."

The crowd jostled along bringing them to a large open square. It was dusty and fenced in. Around the square, hundreds of people pressed around to watch. They cheered wildly as Michiyo and Yunagi, then Sango and Kilala, entered the dueling area.

"This is the place where we settle our disputes and prove our people for advancement," explained Michiyo. "The duel is simple. We fight until one of us catches the other in a pose that would be fatal, knocks the other out, or until one of us is too exhausted to continue. Agreed?"

"Agreed." said Sango.

"All right," said Michiyo ripping out a handful of daggers from her hair band. "Ready to start?"

"You bet," said Sango with determination. She would show them what demon-slayers were all about.

It was a terrific battle. Michiyo was strong and she blocked well. Her offensive style was very sneaky and almost took Sango off guard a few times. However, the demon-slayer was experienced and thought quickly on her feet. She pushed back Michiyo's and cut through her sneak attacks. She even began to levy strikes that came close to hitting, but Michiyo and Yunagi were agile. They truly worked as a team, much as Kilala and she did.

"Let's go Kilala," the demon-slayer whispered in her friend's ear leaping onto her back. The two handlers of demons clashed with swords in the air, trying to kick each other off while their demons nipped at each other ominously. If either one of them got their jaws into the other, the injury would be serious indeed.

"Kilala," said Sango suddenly. She took a step back from where she was crouched on Kilala's back. Kilala understood and as Sango leapt off her back, she ducked down under the weasel punching it up from below. It moaned and crashed to the ground. For her part Sango had grabbed onto the weasel's saddle. Yes, it pays to ride bareback. As the weasel had crashed to the ground, she had pushed off only to be caught by Kilala by the back of her shirt. Kilala landed and gently set her mistress down.

"Kilala," said Sango hugging the big cat. The fire-cat growled in happiness and then went pint-size. She mewed happily and hopped up for a nap.

"Are you all right?" Sango asked Michiyo.

"Yeah," the female ninja said with a grin. "No one was dishonored today. We only proved what we suspected about you. You are indeed strong warriors." She bowed respectfully.

"This is a light-hearted place for a ninja camp," Miroku said leaning over.

"What do you expect?" said Michiyo. "We have been living together as family for fifteen generations. We know little of other men. This is our home."

"Indeed," she sobered. "We have grown greatly in number since our founders arrived here. Some day we may become nothing more than an ordinary village and lose our ninja heritage. But for now, we partake in our blessing of peace."

"Nobody bothers you or involves you in wars?" Sango asked wonderingly.

"No, we're too remote and we imprison trespassers," Michiyo winked. "But I think for your group we'll make an exception. After you make a few vows. After all, you have a mission to complete." Sango gulped at the idea of having to fight out of there and thanked Michiyo. It's not that they couldn't escape. It's just that it would be so much work and a tad risky. Michiyo alone had been quite the challenge.

By the side of the fence, Aijo cheered and waved his hands as Inuyasha held him on his shoulders. He wore Inuyasha's baseball cap to keep the sun out of his eyes. Kagome smiled and waved at Sango as she triumphantly returned with Kilala and Miroku.

"That was amazing," she praised. "Way to go Sango!"

"Thanks Kagome," was the reply. Together, they walked back to their quarters surrounded by a sea of cheers. Sango blushed.

"Oh my, they make it sound like I did something extraordinary," she said.

"Ah, but you deserve such praise," said Miroku longingly with his hand drifting to where it shouldn't be. He got hit with the Hirakose.

But where was Shippo all this time? He was in town getting help from all the pretty young girls. They showed him where to get weapons made and where to look for the best herbs. Shippo wasted no time in using his fame and his fox magic to make a grown-up weapon for himself. It was time, he said, for him to start taking responsibility. He would have to ask Michiyo for some training on how to use his fox-magic ninja stars!

Inuyasha and the others ended up spending a week at the ninja village. They spoke with their leader two more times before he granted them permission to go. In the meantime, Shippo could be seen everywhere throwing his daggers about. Inuyasha actually got excited about it and started flinging back the fiery daggers with his Tetsusiaga like they were baseballs.

"Just you wait Inuyasha!" Shippo seethed.

After all the good food, the baths, the peace, the sound of laughing children and the atmosphere of good health, they really felt loathe to leave. Still, they did and they thanked the ninjas for their hospitality.

"After all," Michiyo explained. "Demon-slayers and ourselves share many similarities." Sango recalled sadly how much her now burnt-out village had meant to her. She hoped something like that never happened to this place. It was up to her and her friends to make sure that this village was safe form Naraku. She left with a new sense of importance.

They journeyed on through the mountain chain and into the human populated valleys below. One thing they did know about Naraku was that they never found him too distant from humans. Though they had driven him to hide underground once, he didn't favor a cave or den like most youkai did. Perhaps this little bit of his humanity still remained to him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer-** I do not own the manga/Anime series Inuyasha.

**Chapter 13: Entrancing Beauty**

Early afternoon one day, Inuyasha's group walked into a small town in the valley. Outside the first house they saw a woman washing laundry in her yard. A half dozen children tumbled about her playing. The woman was exceedingly beautiful with sweeping black hair carrying all the way to the ground. Her face was delicate with great big brown eyes. She wore a delightfully patterned kimono that dragged along behind her. Indeed, everyone was surprised by the scene and wondered why such a woman, obviously from a wealthy family, was washing laundry instead of having servants do it.

"Hello travelers," said the woman kindly. "May I offer you a drink of water?" Miroku nodded his head too eager for speech. Sango bridled with rage.

"Whew. If you don't mind, ma'am. My son and I could use a break." The woman smiled at Kagome.

"What an adorable child," she praised in a motherly tone. "What is his name?"

"Aijo," Kagome answered proudly. She cuddled her dear one to her heart.

"A good name," said the woman. "He reminds me of my dear little Sanoske." She called out to one of the boys playing behind her. "Come and meet our guests," she said. Several other boys accompanied him, and she sent them all to fetch fresh water from the well.

"Are they all yours?" Kagome asked wonderingly. "Yes and no," said the woman sadly. "I have no husband. The man I once loved never returned for me. I have to assume he's dead."

"I'm sorry," said Kagome sympathetically.

"Yes, but," the woman said brightly, "I adopted these children as infants and raised them on my own. They are as dear to me as if they were my own children."

"Very admirable," Miroku approved. Sango pondered the need to punish Miroku. If he said anything more, she resolved, she would have to hit him twice as hard.

"Please, stay the night," the woman offered. Inuyasha and Sango both stood with a clear expression of refusal on their faces. Inuyasha didn't want to put up with watching Miroku's antics any more than Sango did. Miroku obviously wanted to stay very, very much. He was grinning broadly in a lecherous way. Kagome had a look of pure innocence and unfortunately for them she did the talking.

"Thank you very much! It would be hard to refuse such a generous offer. Are you sure we wouldn't be a bother?"

Sango and Inuyasha felt like collapsing but dared to dream when they heard Kagome's askance. Much to their sorrow the woman answered, "Not at all. It will be so nice to have company to talk to. I'm so busy taking care of the children all the time I don't get out much. I would love to hear of your travels."

"Ah yes," said Miroku importantly. "There are many I could tell you of." Sango poked him warning in the back with her Hirakose. Miroku got the hint and stopped talking.

So they spent the night. Sango kept Miroku under her watchful glare at all times. The air in the hut was very tense until the evening meal. At that time,the woman whose name was Sakura broke the silence. Stirring a pot of rice on the fire with some long chopsticks, she asked them, "So what has brought you to these hills? We are a long way from the great capital."

"We aren't even from this region, Sakura," said Kagome. We come from a place far south of here. But we are in search of something and we will go anywhere to find it."

"What would that be?" asked the woman curiously. Nobody answered her for a while.

"An enemy," said Miroku at last with a deep tone. "A demon who is very wicked, and very deadly. We have fought with him before, and we will see the battle to the end."

The woman stopped stirring with her chopsticks. After a few seconds she turned her head and started stirring again.

"You said that like my dear Ieyasu did. He would go away in wars for his clan and one day he didn't return."

"That is a possibility, madame," said Miroku with seriousness. "But if that is our end we will accept our fate with dignity."

"Where is the dignity in war? " said the woman clutching her chopsticks fiercely. "Where is the dignity in leaving me all alone with the money running out?" Her eyes flashed with anger and then she realized where she was and who she was talking to. "I'm sorry," she said bowing he head. "Forgive me for losing myself so foolishly."

"It is quite all right madame," said Miroku most nobly. He turned his head and spoke carefully.

"You know, even I have reservations about war. Continual fighting of humans amongst themselves seems pointless to me. But the battle we are engaged in is different. There is no option of leaving the enemy. If we did, countless innocents would continue to be slaughtered. To permit such suffering when there is something we can do about it would be such a sin as to haunt us not just though this life but intothe next."

"Wow," said Kagome whispering into Inuyasha's ear. "The way he says it makes him sound like such a saint. He hasn't even said anything about himself."

"Yeah, well she'll figure out soon enough he's not such a saint," Inuyasha quietly said back to her. "It's only a matter of time till that hand finds its way to that butt of hers."

"Shh," said Kagome hissing at him to keep it low. Sakura didn't seem to notice anything. Instead she was looking thoughtful and sneaking glances at Miroku as she stirred.

In a short time, they all sat down to eat. The children had been fed earlier and put to bed. It was late and the stars were twinkling brightly outside in a dark solemn sky, the ink pressing down into their room. They held the ink at bay only with a small circle of light from the fireside hearth.

"So tell us Sakura," said Kagome conversationally. "How did you end up with all these children?" Sakura took a long delicate sip from her cup and set it down. She took her time before speaking.

"This place was once a gift from my lover, the man I was going to marry. My parents died and our fortunes failed you see. So he brought me here. I loved it here," she said tears of remembrance tinkling in her eyes. "You see the cherry trees out front? Sakuras. He had them planted here for me. We used to journey together in the spring to watch the cherry blossoms bloom and fall. But it was like our love." She looked deep into her cup as if she could see a picture there. "He kept going away to war and leaving me. He promised he would marry me and he did. But the child died of fever and he himself never returned."

"That's awful," said Kagome quite affected.

"Yes," said Sakura. "The money grew thin and I had to dismiss the servants. I was left all alone. But..." Her voice trembled as she tried to swing it up into optimism. "One day I found a child left all alone by the roadside. I took him in. Suddenly, I had someone to care for, someone who loved me. Soon I had many children. They have given my life purpose." She smiled wanly. "Still, taking care of so many is a burden for only one person yes?"

"You said you were running out of money," said Miroku. "How do you pay for their care?"

"Oh, " said the woman. "I sell what personal belonging I still have laying around in this old house. Also, by dismissing my servants I managed to retain some of my income from rice fields. Still, it isn't enough. I have fifteen children now," said the woman smiling. "The roof is beginning to fall down around our ears. I can not afford the upkeep of this mansion. That is why I can offer you no oil or lamps I'm afraid."

"Inuyasha," said Kagome sympathetically, "isn't there something we can do?"

"You mean build a new roof?"

"Exactly," said Kagome eyes flashing with enthusiasm. "With our strength it shouldn't take more than a couple of days!"

"What do you mean 'our strength'? I would end up doing most of the work! Besides, we're fighters, not carpenters. Sheesh."

"No she's right Inuyasha," said Miroku. "Surely we can assist the lady. I am able enough to repair any monastery roof.

"And I've helped rebuild many a roof in the demon-slayer village," said Sango. "Between the two of us, we have the know-how." Inuyasha crossed his arms in a put out way while Kagome clasped her hands and smiled.

So the next day they all started going out into the woods to cut down trees. Sakura asked them politely if they needed a saw. "Don't need it," said Inuyasha calling back over his shoulder. They strolled into the woods completely unterrified despite villager's warnings that ferocious beasts dwelled there. Inuyasha started bashing around trees splitting them with his claws. In thirty minutes, they had a stack of logs taller than Inuyasha. He stood there balancing one about three feet wide and thirty feet long on one hand when Kagome called to him and he paused to take a soda from her. He was drinking with the log still on his shoulder when a snake youkai came sneaking up from behind him. Without even looking back, he threw the crunched can into its face knocking it out.

"Okay Kagome," he said. "Let's go. This should be enough."

They took the pile of logs back to the village outside the decaying mansion and Sango and Miroku set about to sawing the logs. Inuyasha saw what they were doing. "Sheesh," he complained loudly. "This is going to take forever." Kagome stalled Inuyasha enough to mark measurements using her plastic school ruler and a fountain pen. Then Inuyasha took the Tetsusiaga and sliced the logs into square sided posts. Since the weather was nice they tore off the whole roof and put the new timbers in place. They used a drill and wooden dowels so it would hold properly.

After that, they needed thatch so they went out into the fields to gather grass and large stones. They let it dry in the sun a day before binding it together crudely and thatching the roof. It wasn't as fancy as shingled roofing but it was appreciated all the same. They used the large stones to weigh it down.. True the mansion was smaller now. To save work, Sakura had insisted that a few of the older wings be completely demolished. But it had all the appearance of a warm and inviting home now.

Sakura was moved to tears at the sight of her new roof. She thanked them proficiently and the children danced around in excitement. Inuyasha grumbled about all the fuss and Kagome leaned up and kissed him on the ear

At last their good deed was done so they could move on. Everyone was getting anxious to find Naraku especially Miroku. His wind tunnel wasn't getting any smaller. No one knew how much time he had left.

They left early the next morning. Before they got out of town however, they heard screaming and a young boy ran towards them. He grabbed hold onto Miroku's robes. "Please, you have to help our mother," he panted.

"Aren't you one of Sakura's children?" Kagome asked.

"Yes," the child pleaded. "An evil snake youkai crept up on mother and possessed her." Inuyasha's eyes twitched and he rubbed his temples.

"Guess I should have taken care of it earlier," he said.

They all ran back to the hut to find a snake demon who looked a bit like Sakura wearing her clothes. "Ah hah hah," the demon laughed. It threw down its coils at Kagome and Inuyasha. Inuyasha picked up Kagome who was holding Aijo and ferried them away.

"Take that," said Shippo throwing his ninja stars. The snake demon opened its mouth and spit out acid that burned the fire all up so that the stars fell to the ground. "Uh oh," said Shippo hiding behind Inuyasha's pant leg.

"I got it," said Miroku ripping out one of his sutras. He flung it at the demon and it stuck fast. It crackled angrily as he held out his hand in prayer and Sakura was exorcized. The snake demon flew out of her and Inuyasha sliced it in half.

Sakura slumped down on the ground looking tired. "I was so frightened," she said tears trembling in he eyes. She began crying.

"There there," said Miroku laying a hand on her shoulder in an effort to reassure her. Sakura stood up and wept into his chest taking him by surprise.

"Heh, heh," said Miroku nervously watching Sango glaring at him and keeping his hands far away from Sakura.

The group left yet again. They waved goodbye to Sakura who was surrounded by her children. They passed out of the village borders and were walking along when Miroku stopped. He looked back down the road in thought.

"Thinking of someone Miroku?" said Sango her eyes narrowed.

"No, not at all," said Miroku waving a hand. "I'm just so tired already, you see it's so hot, I mean sunny out today."

"Spare me," said Sango hitting him and leaving him wallowing in the dust.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Author Notes-** Remember, first impressions are not always complete. Some things are going to happen in this story, but it's all okay. Just give the tree some time to grow.

**Chapter 14: A Shessomaru POV**

It was inevitable that word would get to Sesshomaru. He wasn't surprised however. Since the miko was perpetually by the hanyou's side, he knew it was only a matter of time. He was surprised that his brother had taken so long to make a move on what was obviously his female.

Inuyasha's bitch. Or rather Inuyasha's mate. Sesshomaru decided to be polite about it since he knew humans disliked the term. He was always polite, except when feeling particularly degrading. Right now he seething at the thought of yet another relative with tainted blood.

It didn't help that he had returned home. At last he returned to the demon outpost he called his own, not far from his father's old palace. He had had to bring Rin with him. He was torn between the shame of having her here and the fear of letting her go. Rin had chosen to follow him he told himself. It was his duty to look after her.

Still, there were plenty of whispers among his servants and the vassals that floated in and out. He could hear them in the halls, outside the gates, in his sleep. They talked on of why the demon lord had a human with him and whether he was getting soft. It didn't help the fracturing kingdom one bit.

Inutaisho had been a powerful fighter. Strong, fearless, utterly devoted to his loves and family. He had fiercely defended his vassals as well and ruled them justly. Through effort and in his own way, he had risen above all other demons in battle and in life to command respect. In some things, he was very wise. Yet, he had an incredulous weakness that Sesshomaru despised. Love. Sesshomaru scorned his father as much as he had loved him. He could not forgive him for what he did, and for dying.

Yet, the presence of Rin had begun to eat a hole in Sesshomaru's heart. He could no longer pretend to himself there was nothing to love. Yet he denied it to others to the best of his abilities. He still refused to know mercy, though it was creeping up on him. He still denied acceptance of his half-brother and of humans. Yet, at times he looked upon Inuyasha and what he did and saw in him his father's strength. His father's eyes looking back at him. Inutaisho had been reckless. He had been passionate, getting into fights. Unlike other demons, he was not overly concerned with expanding his domain. Instead, demons flocked to him to place themselves beneath his protection. Inuyasha was like that. Somehow, he had pulled allies to himself and they were loyal to him. In return, Inuyasha had proven very protective even if it meant his death. Unlike he, Sesshomaru, it seemed Inuyasha had inherited his father's faults. The perfect ruler as Sesshomaru saw it, was one who could defeat enemies and place others in a role of submission. He demanded reverence and obedience from his subjects. A kingdom should be defined by order, not love he reasoned to himself.

Still, much to his grievance, Sesshomaru was perpetually overshadowed by his father. His father had been bigger. He had defeated larger foes. He had been ancient and well-beloved. He still was by some. Sesshomaru's ability to rule now was based not so much on his own abilities but by the continuing loyalty demons had to his father. They did not respect him, exalt him, as a ruler in his own right as Sesshomaru thought they should. Moreover, with the loss of his arm his dreams of conquest had come to an end. Without his father's swords and his former strength, he could not take his father's place.

Overall, Sesshomaru felt very cheated. He fidgeted in his chair, stroking one of his claws against the leather. He leaned back from his desk in thought when he heard a sudden squeak at the door preceded by soft footsteps. A little girl with black hair poked her head around the edge of the door. She looked a him with adoring eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" squeaked Rin. "See my new kimono? It is very beautiful." She stepped into the room and twirled around to show it to him. The fabric sparkled like a thousand diamonds and rustled like a forest of leaves. Rin smiled at him, that gap in her teeth now filled in.

Sesshomaru held his breath. The girl was growing up so fast. Here she was, what ten in human years? In another five or six she would have attained maturity as far as they were concerned in that age. She was already much taller. When she reached that pivotal age, what would happen? Would he, Sesshomaru fall into the same weakness his father had? No. He was determined that should never happen.

Still, from here his eyes traced the progress of the girl prancing across the room and placed upon her images of what she might look like in time. She would be very beautiful he decided. She would fill up taller, with longer hair. She would expand up front with a pleasing roundness and her hips would stick out giving her curves. Her face would grow longer, more delicate.

Sesshomaru shook his head. What was he thinking? She was only a lowly human. A delicate flower that bloomed and failed within only a day while he, Sesshomaru would live for centuries. Yet his heart was pained by that thought. He wanted to take the child in his hand and keep her there, shielded and protected from rampages of time. Moreover, as much as he tried to, he could not disengage himself from the warmness in her eyes. Only she could adore him like that. So wholly. So completely. She gave him all the due and respect his subjects could not give him in bountiful supply.

Sesshomaru watched the doting child. His Rin. The girl under his protection. Cheered by her presence, he shook himself from his musings and returned to the business at hand. Formalities had to be met regarding his brother and new son. Sesshomaru pulled out some paper to draft orders, announcements, and an invitation towards the hanyou. He would have to see this nephew for himself and perform his duties as leader of the dog clan. It did not matter if it pained him.

While the ink dried on the scrolls on his desk, Sesshomaru got up and wandered out to the garden. Rin was there, tormenting Jakin who was still charged with overseeing her care. Perhaps it was time he got her some ladies-in-waiting. Listening to her laughter, for the first time in weeks he stopped his pacing and sat down trying to relax.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author Notes-** Just imagine this fanfic as moving screenshots or manga illustrations. That's what I do. But I am never going to attempt to illustrate it (way too much work).

**Disclaimer-** I do not own the manga/Anime Inuyasha.

**Chapter 15- A Summoning**

Inuyasha nearly choked on his ramen one afternoon when a demon messenger popped out of the air and handed a letter to Kagome. He had torn the parchment from her hands, and then read and re-read it while she stood there staring at him.

"Well, what is it Inuyasha?" asked Kagome tersely. He had ripped it from her grasp before she had even gotten to open it.

"I can't believe it," Inuyasha muttered barely discernible. "That baka."

"Who's an idiot?" said Kagome trying to read it over his shoulder. Inuyasha rolled up the scroll and shoved it in his robes. It felt very distasteful to have to tell her, let alone go. He wasn't sure where to begin.

"Sesshomaru," he began uncertainly.

"Yeah, what about him?" said Kagome burning up with desire to read the letter. "What does he want?" Inuyasha mumbled something and then cleared his throat. Then he began to speak in an inaudible tone.

"Sesshomaru has invited us to stay at my father's old palace," he said quietly. "I don't know why. He made it clear when I was a child he would leave me homeless. But he mentioned something about formalities initiating me and our son into the dog clan."

Kagome stared back at him. "What do you mean by initiation?"

"Well," said Inuyasha irately folding up his arms. "It seems I never underwent a ceremony acknowledging my maturity... as an adult." After an awkward pause, Kagome began to laugh.

"It's not funny," scowled Inuyasha. "Besides that, he wants to parade Aijo in front of his vassals."

"Rather, it is your father's old vassals, lord Inuyasha," said Myoga from out of nowhere. Inuyasha turned his cheek to find the old flea sitting on his shoulder. "This is a great day," continued Myoga," to see the grandson of our lord Inutaisho. It means something that the bloodline is continuing. Speaking of which.." The old flea hopped up on Inuyasha's neck trying to get a bloodmeal only to get squashed. Inuyasha waited for him to recover and then thrust his face in front of him.

"What are you doing here Myoga?" he said sternly. The old flea puffed himself up before answering.

"Well, you see m'lord, Sesshomaru made contact with Totosai and myself informing us of the upcoming ceremonies."

"Bah," said Inuyasha stubbornly. "Not going."

"But milord!" protested the flea. "This is your chance to have that which was to you denied! As the Leader of the Dog Demons' son, you were entitled to a proper acceptance ceremony into the clan. However, with your father's death and the unpopularness of your breeding, you were not acknowledged as a foreseeable heir. Your mastery of the Tetsusiaga and the birth of your son have not changed that, but you may now gain acknowledgment as on the of clan."

"Pah," spat Inuyasha. "Don't matter. I don't want anything to do with them anyway."

"Please reconsider my lord!" wailed the flea miserably.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome tightening a hand on his arm. "We should try to get along with your family the best we can, for Aijo's sake." This time, Kagome didn't even have to use the subdue collar to get him to obey.

So Inuyasha's group packed up and began to follow the directions on the letter. They were to meet Sesshomaru by a certain river from which Sesshomaru would lead them to the late dog-demon's home.

"What is my father's palace like anyway?" Inuyasha asked Myoga. The old flea started spouting out a fountain of praise and nostalgia.

"My lord had the greatest of all demon palaces," the old flea began. "Imbedded deep within the mountain itself, it has ceilings as high as any human tower, though incomparable to his immense stature in his untransformed state. In his lifetime, it flowed with a constant multitude of demons who came in and out seeking your father's counsel and professing their loyalty. Using the gifts of his vassals, my lord had his palace fashioned inside and out with the finest of gold and polished stone. Countless demon craftsmen made elegant screens and other furnishings of the very highest quality, as well as a beautiful garden. It was, and is a sight to behold."

Inuyasha hadn't been looking forward to this trip but curiosity was beginning to overtake him. It was the second day since they had started out and the morning was pleasant. Aijo was cooing happily and Kagome had rewarded him for his indulgence of her by sneaking off with him into the woods last night. Inuyasha's ears still wiggled with pleasure.

Late in the afternoon, they came to the river Sesshomaru had described. He was there, standing silently and unwelcoming by the waterside. He said nothing as they approached but watched them carefully. Sesshomaru seemed alone and instead of wearing his usual white robes beneath armor, he was wearing garments of a dark blue. The robes seemed ceremonial some how. They were elaborately stitched with patterns of dogs and moons. The cuffs were embroidered with the words for "dog", "lord" and "great leader" but instead of being in Japanese kanji, they were written in the base language of Chinese.

Sesshomaru greeted them coldly. His eyes shifted over to Aijo and he sniffed the air taking in the scent of his nephew. "What is his name?" he asked flatly as if not caring. Inuyasha tensed with rage. "That arrogant brother of mine," he thought.

"His name is Aijo," said Kagome filling in the gap.

"Just like father," thought Sesshomaru illy. "Giving his son a name like that."

Silence enveloped all of them until they shifted uneasily and stirred to go.

"So, where is this castle of yours," said Inuyasha bluntly.

"I am taking you to our father's castle," Sesshomaru corrected him. "I have a dwelling of my own. The ceremony will be held there. Now, as regarding the ceremony." Sesshomaru held up a pile of robes similar to the ones he was wearing but of a lighter blue. Inuyasha gazed at them uneasily.

"Do I have to wear those?" he spoke warily.

"Yes," said Sesshomaru. "You must wear them on the journey. Once we reach the castle, you may remove them until the ceremony the next day." Inuyasha stood there sourly, not moving to take the clothing. The two brothers glared into each other's eyes, neither one backing down though bystanders were beginning to rub their eyes from trying to keep up with the contest. Finally, Kagome walked up noisily and officially broke the contest by taking the robes herself. She clenched them in her hands and stood with her back to Sesshomaru in front of Inuyasha.

"Wear them," she commanded. Inuyasha took them grudgingly. Kagome dragged him off to change by his arm.

"So," said Sesshomaru smirking. "The bitch is in charge in this relationship. Who would have thought the human would be the dominant mate?" The implications weren't good for Inuyasha. As part of the clan, that would put him in an even lower place since it suggested he couldn't even control his own female. But then, some of the females in the dog clan were physically huge and highly ranked. That was a secret reason why Sesshomaru had never chosen another dog demon for a partner himself. He refused to be pushed around by anyone, and like to deny the fact that compared to his father he himself was a runt.

Somewhere up river. Inuyasha and Kagome were unaware of his insulting commentary. Instead Kagome stopped Inuyasha on a gravelly shore. She set down Aijo in his carrier and turned to Inuyasha. "Do you think Myoga followed us?" she asked.

"Nah," said Inuyasha. "He's still hiding on Kilala. I told him if he even came near Aijo both you and I would stomp him into a stain." Kagome thought that was perhaps a little overboard, but she didn't want the flea biting their child.

"Okay then," she said turning back to him after checking on Aijo. "Get undressed."

"Why?" asked Inuyasha suggestively. "Did you have something in mind." Kagome stood up next to him on tip toe.

"Fine," she said good-naturedly. "Drop your pants. Get naked or whatever. Then maybe we'll do something. Are we downwind?"

"Feh. Not like it matters," said Inuyasha.

"We have to hurry, okay?" bargained Kagome. "Then you'll put those robes on, promise?"

"Sure," mumbled Inuyasha catching her lip. He did push her around in his own way. It was well worth keeping on her good side.

They came back about thirty minutes later. It was an awkward time, Inuyasha's friends staring back not impolitely at Sesshomaru while he surveyed them. The minutes ticked on and on and finally they returned. The youkai in the party wrinkled up their nose at the stench. Kagome stood there holding Inuyasha's robe of the firerat while Inuyasha stood awkwardly in the stiff ceremonial outfit. It was ancient clothe, passed down for use through many generations of youkai but Sesshomaru determined to burn it.

"We're ready to go," said Kagome the stench of marking winding through her hair. Sesshomaru nodded and led them forward.

For three days, they wound up the river valley meeting up with party after party of demons. They were not low level demons either. They were powerful ones with double forms, both animal and humanoid. Some were dog demons, some were not. They were of all ages, from the just born to the wizened and old. As Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's party met up with them, they dropped back to follow in a growing procession.

On the fourth day, they were met by what looked like an army of demons of a lower level. Some brought ordinary or extraordinary animals with them. Ruyokan was among them. They fell in line behind the high-level demons.

Inuyasha was astounded. So was everyone else, including Miroku and Sango. None of them had seen so many demons at one time in their life. The hills teemed with them and slowly they marched forward up to the base of a mountain. They came to a broad, steep wall and it cracked open, admitting the thousands outside. Servants of various forms and sizes directed them. Some were wolf demons with very tiny ears. They bowed gracefully with aprons on and showed the throngs of guests to their chambers. Sesshomaru kept Inuyasha an his circle from going inside.

"This way," the current Lord of the Dog Demons said after the crowds had dissipated. He led them up the mountain. They climbed up and up until nearly its very top. There were traces of snow and they could see north all the way to the sea.

"Father liked the snow," Sesshomaru said by way of explanation. A carpet of clouds stretched out before them. It looked like one could run all the way across them and Inuyasha was sure his father had.

A minute after stopping before the door, it slowly drew open. A pair of serving women with small wolf ears came out an bowed their heads. Sesshomaru led them forward.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 16: Palace of the Ruler of the West **

Inside was an incredible sight. Beyond a pair of double doors was a long hall of white polished stone flanked by ornately carved wooden columns. Along the walls were meshes of wood imparting a certain warmth. There were dividing walls of painted rice paper covering stairs. Set on display shelves everywhere were rich treasures such as boxes of gold, carvings in jade, sheathed swords, and unique earthenware. The smell of fine incense hung in the air. Up on the ceiling and along the top of the walls, everything was overlaid with delicate leaves in gold. Huge wall scrolls were to be found everywhere, as well as dark brown furniture. They passed by an open door in which a servant was dusting and saw a number of human objects placed as if this were a private museum. Inuyasha nearly stumbled over the servant wiping the wooden floor. There were long-range archery bows and armor from olden days and planks from ships. The servant stood up and smiled.

"The Late Lord of the Western Lands was very interested in humans. He kept memorabilia as the culture changed," she explained before disappearing. Further in they found many objects emitting a magical aura of some sort. They wisely stayed far from them.

They pressed onward into the mountain and after a while the hallway opened up to a circular dome at least thirty feet all. From any side, there were doorways leading off to other places such as the study, the private dining hall, the records room, and an office with stairs leading down into the great halls beneath. There was some sort of a living room, multiple bedrooms, and bathing quarters. Inuyasha listened distractedly while Sesshomaru had a servant explain everything to them. What really riveted him attention was the garden like quality of this central room. Most importantly, in its center an image shuttered over and over again like a bad tape player. It was his mother, smiling and brushing out her hair.

"Oh," said the servant seeing his entranced expression. "Sorry about that. It's an illusion. The late lord put it there and no one has been able to remove it." Inuyasha watched it time and again before shaking himself and turning to Miroku.

"Miroku," he said recovering. "Can you do something about this?" Miroku nodded his head. "I can try to seal it if you like," he said.

Inuyasha nodded gratefully and Miroku walked forward pulling out a scroll. "Kagome," he called. "Can you spare a bit of your spiritual energy?"

Kagome nodded and lay her hand on the scroll. It sucked on some of her miko powers and the scroll glowed as the powers absorbed. Miroku then prayed adding powers of his own and carefully laid the scroll out into the air as if there was a wall. The image shuttered to a stop and the scroll stuck onto the floor. A clearly defined circle lit up around the floor.

"Look at this,"said Miroku interestedly leaning to the floor. "Teeth from a comb are imbedded in the floor. This is a memory, cast into image using an object. Amazing." Shippo was very impressed too. It seemed he knew more about magic than even kitsunes did.

Sesshomaru said nothing about them stilling the image but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. He had never been able to bear the sight of it for even a minute. It was among one of the many reasons he hadn't returned to the palace even after his father's death.

Sesshomaru dismissed himself, leaving Inuyasha and the others with the servant. He flew out the door and over the clouds down to his outpost a few valley's off. His form overshadowed the door of his private quarters. He spotted a figure sleeping on his bed, curled on his white fur boa. "Rin?" he called gently waking the child up.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Sesshomaru!" squeaked the child grabbing onto his legs. "I missed you so much. I was left all alone."

Idly, Sesshomaru put a hand on her head and guided her away form him so he could look at her plainly.

"Do not worry," he said solemnly. "Soon we will go traveling again."

"With Ah and Um and Jaken?" the girl squeaked holding her hands together hopefully.

"Yes," said Sesshomaru. "Now return to your quarters." Rin nodded and took off but Sesshomaru felt lonely and very stressed. He picked up the scent laden boa and wrapped it around him before falling asleep.

Back in the Palace of the Great Lord of the West, Inuyasha was equally stressed. The servant had led Kagome, Aijo, and himself into one bedroom. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kilala had been assigned separate quarters a few doors down. The separation from them and being in this place was making the hanyou antsy. He couldn't even begin to think of how he would endure the next day.

Kagome did the best she could to calm her pacing husband. She spoke soothingly to him, sat him, argued with him, and ended up rubbing his shoulders. She whispered into his ears that perhaps they could take a nice relaxing bath together and rubbed his soft white ears between her thumbs.

Inuyasha resisted but eventually gave in. He was attired in his red ratrobe again so that at helped to calm his mood. The servants took the ceremonial garment away to clean while Kagome straightened his usual shirt. They had been assigned an enormous bedroom with a great big featherbed with red covers, but they weren't in the mood for anything. So they proceeded to the bathing quarters. They stopped by a bedroom to ask Shippo to come along to watch Aijo.

The little kitsune sat by the edge of the bathing pool playing with Aijo's fingers and putting things in Aijo's hands while Inuyasha and Kagome settled down into the water. "Ah," said Kagome letting her hair spread out along the surface of the water as steam drifted up. "Now isn't this nice?"

Inuyasha had to agree. The room was entirely carved of stone, with a fake waterfall pouring out into a series of three pools. The water was heated and smelled of delicate perfume and oil. Inuyasha had hoped that Kagome wouldn't be using any of her soaps today. The scent of imitation lye was disagreeable to him. Still, he had learned to get used to it and acknowledged such a fragrances as part of her. He had even allowed her to shampoo his hair from time to time and this evening he let her finger "strawberry-scented" suds through his mane. It smelled nothing like fruit to him.

Kagome hummed quietly and rubbed his shoulders. "You're awfully tense," she said.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha.

"Don't worry about it," said Kagome. "It will be over with soon."

"Yeah," said Inuyasha.

Kagome dropped the discussion and rinsed the suds from his hair.

Inuyasha and Kagome left the bath trailed by Shippo. Kagome carried Aijo in her arms. They had given the little one a bath too, but very carefully. Inuyasha had held him up while Kagome had used a washcloth. Shippo had had his time in the bath too, spraying everyone with water as he had cannon balled in.

They were headed back to the master bedroom when they saw Kilala standing kitten form in the hall. She had her ear pressed against Sango's door.

"What is it Kilala?" said Shippo moving up to the door. He pressed his own ear against it and listened intently. "I hear laughing," he said.

Kilala growled and Inuyasha knocked on the door. "The laughing stopped," said Shippo.

"Do you want to go in there?" Inuyasha asked Kagome. She shook her head no.

There were sudden footsteps and Sango opened the door. She was flushed but fully dressed. "Come in," she told them blushing. "We were just talking." In the corner, Miroku was sighing as if grieving his fate. He had been so close to getting reciprocal affection from Sango.

They all sat down and chatted until evening. At last a servant knocked and called them to dinner. They walked together to the private dining hall. There was a much larger one downstairs of course.

The "small" dining hall however was huge and astonishingly beautiful. There seemed to be a theme of winter. An enchanted, ageless flower that looked like ice was arranged artistically in a bowl at the head of the room. Dark branches crisscrossed themselves overhead and the walls were white. The few scrolls and painted screens were simple showing sketches of lofty mountains adrift with snow. The serving table were imbedded with diamonds. The dishes were of silver, white ceramic, or crystal.

They were seated on a platform at the head of a matted room. Below them, the floor dropped off onto a lower level and Inuyasha was gazing in that direction when much to his surprise a troop of four female wolf demons with small black ears made their way in. They looked like extraordinarily beautiful humans except for their swishing tails, fang, claws, and of course ears. They were all wearing elaborate kimonos and held up fans or instruments. Without speaking, they bowed low and began to perform. Two of them danced with perfect coordination, arching their fans slowly while the others played music.

At the end of the first song, the wolf demons trooped up to the platform. Kagome was seated on Inuyasha's right facing the others but she suddenly became aware there were three vacant pillow behind Inuyasha and one to his left. Three of the female wolf demons sat down immediately behind him. The fourth took the seat on his left and made to pour him a drink.

"Hold it!" shouted Kagome standing up trembling with rage. "Who are you?"

The female wolf demon holding the cup looked at her like she had no idea what she was so upset about. "We are the Young Lord's consorts of course," she said. "We have been assigned to him in accordance to tradition." She bowed politely.

"Consorts," Inuyasha sputtered. He stood up and wrapped his arm around Kagome. "Who said I wanted any of those?"

"Lucky dog," moaned Miroku enviously. Nobody noticed.

"It is a tradition," said the young wolf-demon trying to reason. "The son of a dog-demon leader always receives four consorts on the ceremony celebrating his manhood. Your father was given four consorts as part of the tradition as well."

"My father?" asked Inuyasha continuing to sputter. Miroku looked at him as if to say, "take it man!"

"Yes," continued the consort calmly. "Of course for him they weren't all wolf demons. Wolf demons were chosen specifically for you because of your ears. We have been trained to serve you," she said bowing. Inuyasha looked livid.

"I don't give a damn about tradition, Inuyasha snarled. "I don't know anything about you and I'll be damned if I stay here!"

"I see," said the chief consort delicately. She motioned a hand and the other three wolf demons and herself left the room. Inuyasha sat down and breathe heavily. "I had no idea my family was like that," he mumbled. Kagome scooted her pillow against him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders determined she would never let anyone else have him. Inuyasha chewed his food thoughtfully.

"You don't have to be so self-righteous," said Miroku sighing. "It's a privilege granted to few. There's nothing wrong with it."

"Listen to yourself monk," said Inuyasha. "I'm the one who should be saying that. I know it's that way for some people, but my mother was different. My father was different at least in the way he choose my mother. Besides that, with all I had to go through with Kikyo and finding my way to Kagome, I just can't take women lightly like that. Besides, I'm a half-demon. It doesn't matter what the custom is, my blood tells me I should take one mate and stick with it. I've already taken Kagome so I'm stuck with her no matter what."

"That's right Inuyasha," said Sango clunking Miroku on the head. "That's a very noble sentiment."

"That's right," said Shippo. "My father may have been normal youkai, living out in the wild, but he knew best. He told me to always be true to one's mate. It doesn't matter what weird things some rich people do."

"You'll be all the happier for it," said Sango with her boomerang hovering ominously over Miroku's head in case he said anything. They still carried their weapons with them everywhere. They were in a youkai stronghold after all and very edgy.

A silence dropped between them. Then Miroku raised a hand up scratch his head. "If you don't want them," he began cautiously. From out of nowhere a boomerang hit him on the head. They ate dinner without him.

After dinner, they went back to their respective chambers. Kagome tucked Shippo into bed, Sango let down her hair for the night, they dragged Miroku to his room and gave him a wetclothe, and Kagome and Inuyasha retired to the master bedroom. They tucked Aijo in for the night in a little basinet.

"Sleep tight," said kagome gently tweaking his toes and giving him a kiss. Aijo slept on blissfully. Kagome turned and sprung onto the bed. "It's so bouncy," she said delightedly. She turned big eyes up at Inuyasha.

"Come on Inuyasha," she said pleadingly.

"What," he said grumpily. "I..."

"Come on Inuyasha," said Kagome grabbing his hands and pulling him down beside her. "This bed is so nice it would be a shame to waste such an opportunity."

Inuyasha sighed. He had a lot of things on his mind but that did sound like a good idea just now. He pounced on Kagome pinning her back against the pillows. He growled possessively and she growled in return. He smiled and turned smiles to kisses working his way down and a hand up her shirt. He pulled it off and Kagome helped by raising her arms above her head.

"My mate?" said Inuyasha looking down at her torso.

"Your mate," said Kagome affirmingly. Inuyasha put his hand to his belt and untied it. Kagome licked her lips. When his loincloth fell she leaned forward and plastered her lips against his penis causing him to groan.

"My mate," she murmured clenching her skirt. Inuyasha tore it off and she giggled happily as they connected. "Hmm," she sighed contentedly into his strong shoulder. Their waves of hair intertwined.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 17: A Ceremony to Remember**

In the early morning, a servant came to wake them. They knocked on the door several times but Inuyasha and Kagome decided to have a repeat of the previous night when they woke up. They tossed around in each other's arms and the poor servant could hear them smooching. She continue to knock on the door.

"All right, all right," said Inuyasha at last stumbling up form the bed. Kagome lay with her face pressed into the blankets. She wasn't sure she wanted to get up yet.

"Kagome," muttered Inuyasha in earnest.

"All right, all right," she said pulling herself upright. She slid down and began to get dressed.

"Almost done?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she said trying to stick her toes into a shoe. She swayed around unbalanced and Inuyasha caught her elbows to steady her. From there they both decided to smooch.

Sesshomaru could hear her giggling when he entered into the hall to pick up his brother. The door opened and he could see the blankets knocked onto the floor. That scent was back again.

"Sesshomaru," said Inuyasha coming out the door. He brushed his bangs from out of his face and suppressed a goofy grin. "Is it time to go?"

"Yes," said Sesshomaru coldly. He was wearing his ceremonial robes again, as was Inuyasha. "The maturity ceremony for you will be held today. However, the ceremony recognizing you and Aijo will not be held until tomorrow." Kagome swung open the door promptly.

"Inuyasha," she called. "Come help me. Aijo needs changing and new clothes put on. He needs feeding too."

Inuyasha shook his head. "We'll be a few minutes," he said before softly shutting the door.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo yawned seeing the interchange. "We'll be here another few hours," said Shippo exaggerating a little bit. They all sat down to wait.

At long last, the little family was ready to go diaper bag at hand. So they strutted down the flight of stairs leading from the uppermost apartments of the ruler to the grand chambers below. What they found was an incredible sight. The main hall was as big as any football stadium Kagome had ever seen. Thousands of demons were pressed on either side of a thin strip of path leading between them up to a monumentous throne.

Sesshomaru led Inuyasha up to the front and left him standing in front of the first in a row of an assortment of demons. "Father's most loyal supporters," he explained.

The old demon in front of Inuyasha reached out and clasped both his hands shaking them up and down. Inuyasha turned tense prepared for battle and threw him over head across the room. The demon landed against the distant wall with a clunk.

"Um, Lord Inuyasha," said Myoga hopping from somewhere down the line. "Let me be the first to greet you. You are supposed to shake hands with me up and down three times you see."

"Why should I do that?" said Inuyasha rudely.

"Um, for luck," said Myoga. "Only the first five. After that, you get gifts.

They had to wait a while for the demon Inuyasha had thrown to return.. He staggered back holding his head. "That's quite a strength you got there sonny," he said good naturedly. "I was just trying to pass on the luck."

Inuyasha moved down the line. After the first five demons, about ten others had gifts to give him such as clothe, incense, belt loops and even shoes. After that, he was given some armor kind of like Sesshomaru's. Totosai was next holding nothing,

"Here Inuyasha," he said. "Let me see your sword for a moment." Inuyasha hesitated but gave it to him. Totosai immediately gave it back.

"What was that all about old man?" said Inuyasha disagreeably.

"You're supposed to receive a sword on this day," said Totosai unperturbed. "Your father has already seen to however."

"Whatever," said Inuyasha.

Next in line was a demon holding a wide sash. He held it up and tied it around Inuyasha's waist. "What, is there magical power in it," said Inuyasha.

"No," the demon said. "Just preparing you for the next step."

Last in line were the four wolf demons who were supposed to be his consorts. The demon that had tied the belt on his waist took the hand of the first and was about to place it in Inuyasha's when suddenly he ran into a crackling wall. Kagome, who had been watching with Miroku, Sango and the others up front appeared behind the four wolf demons. She pushed past them and grasped the first consort's hand. She pulled it out of the previous demon's hand.

"Excuse me," she said menacingly. "But Inuyasha belongs to me." She laid her hand in the demon's palm.

"Inuyasha," called Sesshomaru over the murmuring. "What will you decide? Will you take them or not?" Kagome looked at him as if to say, "cheat on me and you'll die." He considered it. They were full demons, but he wasn't that sort of a man.

"You heard her," he said loudly. "I belong to her." He held out his hand waiting for Kagome's. With some reluctance, the demon who had given him his sash placed Kagome's hand into Inuyasha's.

The ceremony dismissed quickly. Miroku and Sango were more relieved than anyone. They has spent nearly an hour with thousands of youkai breathing down their backs. Sango had her eyes closed and Miroku's left eye and a constant twitch.

Nearly everyone departed except for Inuyasha and his group, Sesshomaru, and the four consorts. Sesshomaru had held them back since they had business to discuss.

"I don't think you are aware of the seriousness of your choice," said Sesshomaru. "The passing of hands signifies the order of succession of heirs born among consorts and a mate. By taking Kagome's hand first, you indicated that any child of hers would be your first successor. Moreover, by not taking the hands of any of the consorts offered, you denied any child of theirs the right to succession."

"Is that so?" said Inuyasha as blunt as usual. "Well I don't give a damn about it. It's not like they would accept me as ruler anyway."

"No. But a son might, if born with blood greater than that of a half-demon," said Sesshomaru. Inuyasha shrugged.

"And then what? Have him fight with a son of yours or get knocked off early on? I already have a family. Kagome is my mate and I intend to keep it that way. Besides, she'd probably blast me if I approached anyone."

"You're right I would," said Kagome still uptight.

Sesshomaru dropped the subject. He suggested they return to their chambers and he flew off to his castle for yet another long nap. He had quite a headache from dealing with them. Yet he was pleased. It was true he did not yet have a heir, and he didn't want any demon with tainted blood competing with his own for the inheritance as ruler. Still, he was astonished anew at what a fool his brother was. What he was willing to pass up for love.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 18: The Kitsune Son**

Back in the vast great hall, servants ran around busily polishing the floor to restore it to its pristine glory. Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, Kilala, and Aijo were still standing around at the front of the great room talking. Everyone who could speak congratulated Inuyasha on having gotten through the ceremony. Miroku laughed at the thought of Inuyasha having a child and all that and still having to come here to "become" mature. He asked politely if Inuyasha wanted a name change.

"A name change?" said Inuyasha frowning.

"Yes," said Sango. "Sometimes we humans commemorate a child's maturity by allowing them to take a second name after proving their strength. Usually, they have to move rocks or something." Yes, I read in a book and saw in a movie this is an old Japanese custom.

"Is that so," said Inuyasha frowning.

"Yeah. That's how it was for me anyway. I choose the name Sango, meaning ocean coral."

"Really?" asked Miroku. "What was it before?"

Sango muttered.

"What was that?" asked Miroku. "I couldn't hear you."

Sango's checks flushed and she got angry. "It was a really stupid name," she said trying to get out of it.

"Really,"said Miroku with interest. "I really want to know." Sango strolled off down the hall angrily Miroku following.

"She's right," said Inuyasha who had been able to hear her muttering. "It was a stupid name."

It was a quiet moment. Inuyasha looked at Aijo and eager for respite for her weary arms, Kagome handed him to him. Inuyasha shifted the child in his arms gently until he was comfortable and rocked him to and fro. Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder.

Shippo scurried down the hall sniffing at a column. There was an odd statue there with bulgy eyes and as Shippo sniffed it, it poofed with a loud bang into a kitsune exactly his size. Only this kitsune was female.

"Hello," said the little kitsune. "I'm Eriko. Did you want to play with me and my sister Choko?"

"Um, yeah sure," Shippo replied.

"Great," said the female kitsune. "Eriko," she called up into the rafters. A fox demon slightly older than herself came down.

"Hi," the newcomer said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Shippo," said Shippo proudly.

"Nice tail," said Eriko picking it up curiously. "It's very fluffy."

"Yeah," said the foxcub awkwardly. The young ones talked while the grownups continued their own conversations.

"No really," said Miroku his staff clanking along behind Sango. "The name wasn't that bad. I wasn't laughing at you. It was just that, um, I was relieved from all this tension. That ceremony was very long." At least he told a half-truth.

"That's true," said Sango biting her lip.

"Ah," Miroku thought. "She's buying it. I'm saved!"

Over in their corner, Inuyasha and Kagome were sorting through his pile of gifts. "Shoes," said Kagome suggesting they might be useful.

"Bah," said Inuyasha disdainfully. "And pinch my toes like Sesshomaru? Then I'd be as pissy as him."

"Well, how about the armor?" said Kagome.

"Not worth it," said Inuyasha. "It's added weight just for show."

"I'm not sure," said Kagome. "Sesshomaru's armor held off one of my arrows once remember?"

"Bah," said Inuyasha. "Look at it this way. I'm always carrying you around. How am I supposed to do that if I have spikes sticking off my chest?"

"You're right," said Kagome. They dropped their conversation and watched the foxcubs talking.

"Were you here for the ceremony?" Shippo asked the girls.

"No," said Eriko. "We aren't supposed to be up here. We're supposed to stay downstairs with the other foxes since we're kids but we snuck up here when no one was looking."

"You mean there are other foxes?" said Shippo his eyes lighting up. The day was getting better and better.

"Sure," said Eriko. "If you want, you can come down with us. We're supposed to all have a fox clan reunion in a few hours. They're getting the food ready. Momma was really cranky, telling us to get out from underfoot." Shippo thought how nice it would be to have a parent like that.

Inuyasha looked thoughtful and he carefully handed Aijo back to Kagome. He walked up to the playful foxes and picked up one of the girls by the tail. "Hey!" the foxcub protested while he sniffed her head. He dropped her and repeated it with the other.

"How rude," said Eriko crossing her arms. "Shippo, who is this guy?"

"Shippo," said Inuyasha sternly. "I don't want you playing with any strange demons without permission okay?"

"Yes," said Shippo embarrassed and maddened by the authoritative tone. Inuyasha was a lot like that lately.

"Kagome," said Shippo hesitatingly. "Can I go downstairs to see the other fox demons?" Kagome bit her lip.

"Shippo, have Inuyasha go with you okay?" she said deciding it.

Shippo groaned but Inuyasha picked him up by the tail. "You heard her foxcub," said Inuyasha shaking him gently. "Let's go." They both looked at Kagome.

"I'll just go back to our room with Miroku and Sango," said Kagome. "Have fun." She walked off towards them and spoke with them briefly. She waved a hand at Inuyasha as he watched her safely ascend the stairs with Aijo in her arms.

Inuyasha looked Shippo eye to eye. "It's you and me runt," he said.

Eriko and Choko guided them down some stairs to the lower levels. There was story upon story of passages carved into the mountain. At last, they reached a level about nine flights down and Eriko and Choko led them into it. There were beds of straw, strings of glowing foxfire hung on the ceiling for light, and kitsunes everywhere. Some looked like Shippo wearing bright colored clothing while some had the form of an ordinary fox. They were tumbling over one another, nestling, growling, and stirring pots of steaming food.

"Choko, Eriko," said a plump kitsune stirring one of the stew pots. "Where were you?" she scolded. "You know you're not supposed to leave the den without permission."

"Yes mother," said the two hanging their heads. Eriko reached up a hand and tugged on her mother's sleeve.

"Momma, there's someone we want you to meet."

"Who's that dear," murmured their mother.

"Momma this is Shippo," said Eriko.

"Seven treasures, hum," said the vixen. "You're a handsome young man. But who is your friend?"

"Er," said Choko attempting to speak for them. "He's sort of his guardian."

"Is that right," said the kitsune thoughtfully. "What happened to your parents young man?" She also looked at Inuyasha in askance.

"My parents both died," spoke up Shippo. "Kagome and Inuyasha just sort of... took me in one day."

"Oh my," said the vixen dropping her spoon into the boiling pot. "You mean you're the son of the late demon lord?" A hundred ears perked up in the cave while Inuyasha nodded his head.

"My, my," said the vixen. "A kitsune adopted by an inu-youkai. Forgive me my lord, for not greeting you properly." She bowed her head in respect. Choko and Eriko hissed at each other.

"Are you coming to the kitsune reunion m'lord?" she asked politely.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha crossing his arms. "Shippo here wanted to come. Maybe he's got some relatives."

Shippo shook his head. "None that I've ever heard of," he said. "Father explained to me that most of the family perished long ago."

"Is that so," said Inuyasha.

They waited around until one of the kitsune males, who was only as high as Inuyasha's waist, banged on a gong calling everyone to order. The youkai in the cavern filtered out, carrying pots of food and other supplies. Inuyasha and Shippo followed them outside the cavern to a bright green meadow on the mountain. Inuyasha caught the scent of the air.

"It's nice to be outside again," he said appreciatively. He followed his sudden urge to find a tree to sit in.

Shippo ran about finding a group of foxcubs to play with. Enthusiastically, he leapt into a fighting pile of male youkai and nipped one on the ear. They all stopped, one rubbing his ear.

"Who are you?" one of them asked him.

"Shippo," said Choko speaking for him. Choko and Eriko had followed after him.

The male foxcub Shippo had bitten moved up to sniff him cautiously. He pulled back almost immediately. "You have human scent on you," he scoffed.

"That's his momma," said Choko. "His fox parents died and so he was adopted by Inuyasha and Kagome, ya know, the hanyou and the miko."

A wry grin spread across the kitsune's face. "So you weren't youkai enough to take care of yourself, huh?" he asked.

"Isamo, you jerk," fumed Choko.

"I was just saying," defended the foxcub. "After all, if he was really kitsune he would have found himself a foxtribe to live in."

Shippo bridled with rage. "I'll show you," he said launching himself. He punched Isamo in the face and locked his teeth behind his ear. Inuyasha hopped down from his tree to stare at the flying ball of fluff. The father of Isamo ran over anxiously so Inuyasha reached down and broke up the fight.

"Hey, let me go," said Shippo angrily. His eyes burned as Inuyasha held him by the scruff. "That bastard insulted me."

"Calm down Shippo," said Inuyasha shaking him. "You're acting like me. Don't worry about it. You're a tough fighter and better than any of them. After all, you're my pup."

Shippo stopped fighting. "Really?" he said astonished. "You mean it Inuyasha?" He leapt onto the hanyou's shoulder.

"That's what everyone else is already saying," he put bluntly.

Isamo's father growled about Shippo attacking while Inuyasha told him to keep his son from mouthing off, establishing Inuyasha and Shippo as a duo of rudeness. They were the kind of people one meets in the park and says about, "God, I wish such people didn't exist!" But for their part, Shippo and Inuyasha went back to Choko and Eriko's mother and sat around eating stew with that family. They laughed it up and the three kitsune foxcubs attacked Inuyasha while he tried to swat them away. Choko and Eriko asked interestedly about Shippo's "little brother".

At long last, the sun was setting and the adult kitsunes were ushering the little ones back to the "den". Inuyasha and Shippo followed Choko, Eriko, and their mother back to the cavern. They said goodbye and started to climb upstairs.

"Choko and Eriko, hum?" said Shippo thoughtfully. "They are both very pretty."

"What, giving up on human girls?" said Inuyasha grinning.

"No way," said Shippo firmly.

They climbed up the carved stone steps and passed someone on the stair. It was the female wolf-youkai who was supposed to be his chief consort. "Oh," she said apologetically. "How are you m'lord," she said bowing.

"Don't give me that," said Inuyasha softly. "What is it with you anyway? So ready to throw yourself away on someone you don't even know."

The would-be consort flicked back her ears. "If you would be willing m'lord, we could talk for a while. Just talk," she said quickly.

"We can talk right here," said Inuyasha. The female wolf demon shook her ears.

"No. In the servant's quarters," she said.

"Hey. I'm watching you," said Shippo poking Inuyasha in the shoulder. Inuyasha nodded his head. Now was as good as a time as any to get this over with.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 19: Ancient Customs**

Inuyasha followed the wolf demon up the stairs and towards the hidden stair by the front entrance. Inuyasha paused as they walked, sniffing the air. He could smell Kagome in their bedroom.

"Come on," hissed the wolf demon. They continued stealthily down the hall.

Down the hidden staircase was a row of small beds divided by shoulder high screens. There were useful amenities and even a large window which was a hard thing to do in a mountain. "Youkai magic," she explained when she saw him looking at it.

The female wolf demon picked up a blanket and folded it idly, putting it neatly away. She drew up a chair and sat down.

"There's a lot of furniture around here," said Inuyasha confused. He was used to sitting on mats or bare open ground. Even among the wealthy humans, furniture wasn't something they had in abundance.

"We demons have time to collect things," she explained. "This used to be the throne of an emperor," she said patting the arms of the chair. "That chair you are sitting in now belonged to a famous scholar." Inuyasha didn't reply.

"So, are you going to answer my question?" said Inuyasha finally.

"Yes," said the wolf demon. "As you might have been told, each male heir born to a lord of the dog demons is given by tradition four female demons to bear him his own successors, the granting of which takes places on the ceremony marking his manhood." She clenched her teeth unhappily.

"So how did you get picked for this?" Inuyasha asked her.

"Normally," said the wolf demon, "the four consorts chosen are from politically powerful groups. Our late great lord was given four but only one was compatible, so Sesshomaru was the only heir born from that group."

"Sesshomaru's mother was a consort?" said Inuyasha wondrously. "He really is a bastard isn't he? At least my mother was marked." The consort tried to ignore him and continued.

"However, because of your non-demon heritage, it was difficult to find suitable consorts for you. Finally, the servants in this castle were approached and four pledged their daughters to you. I was among them. The wolves from the Night Tribe have been loyal servants of your family for many generations you see. We have a privileged life, better than many wolves living out in the wilderness. We are grateful to your family for their protection. Still," said the wolf demon pursing her lips unhappily, "I have to admit I did not wish to be given to a hanyou." Inuyasha leaned back. Now this was making sense. The mention of wilderness got the wheels turning.

"Say," he said. "How do you feel about the wilderness. Would you ever go out there yourself?" The female wolf demon hesitated but then spoke.

"Yes," she said. "I've actually dreamed of it. To be free to run like that without any duties." She bowed her head.

"Well, I hope the other 'consorts' feel the same," said Inuyasha smiling. There was a certain wolf demon tribe he knew of without any females. For the first time, it was good to know Kouga. He would have to find Myoga to talk to him about his intended giving of a gift of "good will". It was sad to pass up on the opportunity, but then why did he care about political marriage? He was a wanderer, an outsider, and just because people suddenly decided to kiss up didn't change the fact he was who he was. Inuyasha. The half-demon. He had Kagome, Aijo and all his friends. He had a good sword. He had strength enough to fight some good battles. That was good enough for him. He wasn't about to give up his freedom or his love for anyone or anything. He totally rocked and he knew it.

Inuyasha returned to the bedroom with Shippo hanging off his shoulder. "Hi Kagome," he said a pleased rumble coming up from the back of his throat.

"Where were you?" said Kagome kissing him. "Did you behave yourself?"

"He was on very good behavior," said Shippo supportively. He hopped off so they could enjoy their cuddling time.

"I have a good momma and papa," Shippo told Aijo. Aijo threw his rattle out of the crib and laughed mischievously. "Aijo," Shippo scolded.

Early next morning when Sesshomaru came Inuyasha was up and ready. He had something interesting to discuss. At about noon Aijo, Shippo, and himself exited the bedroom all wearing ceremonial robes.

"Are you sure you want to do this," Sesshomaru asked him.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha narrowing his eyes. He was stubborn and would always have his way.

So that afternoon Sesshomaru led him to a box with a string of teeth in it. He untied the loop and motioned for Inuyasha to move closer.

"Woah," said Inuyasha shielding Aijo. "You're going to rip out teeth? There's no way I'm going to let you do that to Aijo."

"Don't worry," said Sesshomaru dryly. "It's painless. Take this loop and pass it through one of your fangs." Reluctantly, Inuyasha did so. As soon as he touched the end of the strand to his tooth, it pulled though and his tooth fell out. Shippo went next and soon for the first time in history, a kitsune tooth was strung on the circle of the dog-clan. Inuyasha carefully did the same for Aijo. He was glad his son had fangs and hoped it regrew quickly.

Kagome hopped up after the ceremony and welcomed her men back. She was a very happy woman.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 20: Departure**

The ceremonies were over and they were free to go. So they filled Kagome's backpack with supplies and prepared to go back to their normal roving life. Only, they had an errand to do first. When they got to the door, they found four wolf-demons there, each carrying not one but four bulging bags each. "Oh dear," whined one in the corner. "I hope I haven't forgotten anything."

Myoga hopped up and down. "We are ready to leave m'lord," said Myoga. Inuyasha reached up and squished him.

"What on earth do they have so much luggage for?" he asked. One of the wolf-demons replied.

"It's our robes, and our perfumes, and our soaps, and our shoes, and our makeup, and our..."

"All right, all right!" Inuyasha waved a hand. "Let's just get going." And he had thought Kagome was bad.

"So," he turned to the head consort. "What is your name?"

"I am Kan (meaning endure)," she replied bowing her head. "These others are Rizu (silk), Hisui (jade), and Jun (obey)."

Inuyasha frowned at them. He turned his head. "Let's get going," he said.

Kagome perched on Inuyasha's shoulder with Aijo on her back. She couldn't help herself. For a moment a gloating smile spread across her face. To thwart it, she rolled up her eyes and pushed the grin away. She buried her face in Inuyasha's hair instead.

"Oh," wailed Jun softly. "I wanted to do that."

"Great," thought Inuyasha. They would be harder to shake than he thought.

They began to descend the mountain and had walked only for a few hours when all of a sudden one of the servants sat down on a rock rubbing her feet.

"Ow," moaned Rizu. "My feet hurt."

"Mine too," said Hisui.

"Me three," said Jun. Kan looked back at them over her shoulder.

"Milord," she said. "We servants have had little occasion to leave the palace. We are unaccustomed to walking long distances. Please milord, if you would allow us some respite?"

Inuyasha ground his teeth. "This is going to take forever!" he growled.

"Ooo, we made the lord unhappy!" Jun whispered frantically to Hisui who whispered something to Rizu who whispered something back.

"Come on Inuyasha," said Kagome taking pity on them. "Let them rest for a bit. I'm sure it won't take them too long to build up strength. They are demons after all."

"Fine," snapped Inuyasha. "But after this we're walking until dark, no stopping." Three of the servants cringed at the harshness of his voice.

"Yes my lord," Kan bowed.

The servants sat there dabbling their toes in the water of a running stream while Inuyasha fidgeted and whined. Kagome began to rummage through her pack. She pulled out a package of ramen noodle.

"Well, since we're stopping we might as well eat lunch."

"It's early," Inuyasha protested.

"It's close enough," said Kagome. "I've already fed Aijo, we might as well have something ourselves. Cheer up Inuyasha. We stop all the time anyway for Aijo."

"This is different," Inuyasha fumed.

"I know you can be patient," said Kagome kissing the base of his ear.

Inuyasha slid his hands to around her waist while she stood toe to toe. He nuzzled her affectionately while he rubbed his thumbs on her stomach. The consorts watched with interest.

"Oh, look at that," hissed Jun. Inuyasha turned to look at them. The consorts were staring at him and Kagome like they were an interesting movie. Inwardly he sighed.

"Let's go over here," he said to Kagome pointedly. "Do not try to follow," he told everyone else. They walked into the woods.

"Now where were we?" he said happily.

"About here," said Kagome guiding his hands to her waist. He swirled lazy circles with his thumbs and deepened his kiss.

"Mm. More," muttered Kagome her lips pressed against his. He leaned against her and she grabbed hold of his belt as he continued to kiss her. He left her face and dragged his teeth along her neck, causing her to shiver. He licked the base of her neck where her body disappeared into shirt.

"More?" he asked in query.

"I can't make love and ramen noodle," said Kagome.

"Fair enough," said Inuyasha. "Cook later. Feed me now," he whispered into her ear making her ticklish.

"Give me your shirt," she replied in an annoyed manner. She lay it down to the ground and peeled off her shirt leaning back onto it.

"What, mad?" said Inuyasha leaning down on her, her head cupped in his hand.

"A little," said Kagome.

"What, not in the mood?" he asked.

"No," she said. "It's that the timing is off. Those demons are here and I have to make lunch."

"Relax Kagome," said Inuyasha. "Forget about them. Be with me now." Kagome tickled his chin. "Forgive me?" he said.

"Yeah," said Kagome giggling. "It's just annoying when things get in the way of our love."

"I won't let them," said Inuyasha leaning over to pick up where he had left off. He licked the base of her neck and worked his way down to the top of her skirt.

Kagome sighed. She was feeling very tense from all the stress lately. She abruptly sat up. "I'm sorry Inuyasha," she said. "I just can't do this when those THINGS are around." She brushed herself off and picked up her shirt. Inuyasha sighed. The sooner he could get rid of those four the better.

They returned back to camp where Kagome made the ramen noodles as she said she would. She looked at Inuyasha's sad face. She suddenly felt very cruel, neglectful. She was stressed out but so was he. Inuyasha was right after all. They needed some time together. His words reverberated through her remembrance. "Forget about them," he had said. "Be with me now." Kagome smiled. She came up with a plan.

"Sango, Miroku," she said. "I've been thinking. I need a few days off to return to my time. Do you think we could go to Kaede's first?"

Inuyasha jumped down from a tree. "What?" he cried. "And take even more time getting these wolves to the mountains? Not to mention the fact that they happen to be demons. You can't just drop them off by a village."

"Relax Inuyasha," said Kagome. "Sango and Miroku can look after them. They don't even have to go near the village."

"No," said Inuyasha glaring at her with authority. Kagome ignored it as usual. "Sit boy," she said. Inuyasha tasted ground.

"Kagome," said Inuyasha getting up from the ground. "I'm serious, this is..."

"Sit, sit, sit boy," said Kagome. Inuyasha found himself in a very large hole.

"Ow," he said.

The wolf-demons all looked on in shock as Kagome kneeled by their felled master.

"I'm serious Inuyasha," said Kagome. "We're going." Inuyasha stayed stretched out in his hole and Miroku walked over to advise.

"Inuyasha, you had better obey." Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

"Don't worry," continued Miroku. "Sango and I will lead them to a place remote form the village." He hated the pressure Kagome was putting them under, but he wasn't about to say anything against the miko. He was going to have to enlist Hodji's assist for this one. The more help the better.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 21: A Little Time Together**

A yellow backpack was thrown up over the side of a well. It was followed by several other large bags and finally, it was followed by a family of three. Kagome, Inuyasha, and Aijo popped out of the well. Poor Shippo had to stay behind as always. Kagome resolved to bring something back for the little kitsune.

"Ah," said Kagome stretching. Inuyasha helped her lower the carrier from her back. He took Aijo into his arms as he waited for Kagome.

At last Kagome finished and took Aijo from Inuyasha so he could carry the bags. Wearily, they entered the house. Mrs. Higurashi was there to greet them.

"Hello!" Mrs. Higurashi squealed at the sight of her daughter and especially her grandson. "How are you?" She squeezed Aijo's little toes and he stared back. He sniffed her hand and licked it. Kagome's mom laughed.

"He's even more adorable than last time," said she. "And growing up so fast!"

"Yeah," said Kagome frowning. "I really wonder if Aijo has immortal years or not."

"What was that dear," said Mrs Higurashi playing with Aijo.

"Nothing," Kagome lied. She was weary and didn't want to go into it. Aijo was developing fast, same as any normal human child. There were differences of course. At three months old he could chew through beams of wood with his teeth.

Right now, Kagome was feeling immensely relieved. She needed a bit of vacation and she knew with absolute certainty her mother could help her have it.

"Mama," she said. "Inuyasha and I are really tired from the journey so I was wondering if you would watch Aijo for a while."

"What?" demanded Inuyasha. "What about milk?"

"He can have formula," said Kagome. Suddenly, she was grateful for the invention.

"Very well dear," said Kagome's mom. She patted her grown daughter on the shoulder. "You just take the time you need," she said reassuringly.

"Thanks Mom," said Kagome.

"Now," said Kagome's mother taking Aijo. "How about you two go upstairs and have a nice hot bath while I make dinner?" Sota popped in to say his hellos but Kagome was almost too weary to hear him.

"Help Mom take care of Aijo," she demanded pushing Inuyasha up the stairs. He looked back anxiously not sure whether to comply.

"Aijo will be fine," Kagome reassured him. "Mama raised me and she did a very good job." Inuyasha wasn't sure he liked it but decided he had to go along with it.

Upstairs, Kagome turned the spigot with a squeak and hot water poured out of the tap. She watched the warm, swirling water fill up nicely and decided to put some bubble bath in.

"Inuyasha," she said calling him over. "Which of these smells least offensive to you?"

"This one," he said scenting them. They weren't really that bad he decided. He was used to the smell of perfume and their odor tended that way.

Kagome poured in a copious amount and soon a mountain of foam was forming.

"Well come on Inuyasha," she said. "Let's get in."

"In?" said Inuyasha doubtfully. "That tub is small, there's only room for one of us."

"I'll sit on your lap," Kagome decided. "We can both sit cross-legged for a while too. I'll scrub your back if you scrub mine." Inuyasha relented and they sank into the water.

When it came Inuyasha's turn to scrub her, he noticed she was very tense. He also noted an abundance of scar marks on her back, arms, and legs.

"Kagome, what happened?" he fretted holding up one of her arms.

"Oh," said Kagome blandly. "I get those all the time. That's what it means to be your wife. We're always getting into trouble you know."

Inuyasha lowered her arm. "I'm sorry," he said huskily.

"It's okay," said Kagome reassuringly. She turned around so she could nuzzle him head-to-head. They kissed sweetly, tasting each other's lips. They found the boundaries of the tub too confining, so they rinsed off the suds. Inuyasha swung Kagome into his arms and threw a towel over her so they could traverse the hall without her getting embarrassed. They climbed the stair together Kagome tucked neatly in his arms. She looked up at her shining prince and closed her eyes in content.

In their room, Inuyasha set her gently down on her feet and turned out the light. They both crept upon the bed and just snuggled for a while a blanket between them. Kagome breathed in the scent of her husband and played with his hair. He kept a hand laid lovingly across her waist. "Life is so good," Kagome thought.

At last the stress seemed faded away. The sparkle returned to Kagome's eyes and Inuyasha sensed the change in her shifting. "Are you all right?" he asked her stroking her face. He used the back of a finger because of his claws.

"Yeah," said Kagome snuggling even closer. She sat up but this time not to move away. Instead, she looked down at him lovingly. She adored, no worshiped everything she saw. With tenderness, she removed the blanket that was dividing them and scooted into his arms.

He took her in his arms gently and nipped at her neck, barely scratching. She leaned her head, allowing him greater access for his play. When she could, she stole kisses for herself so they changed their movement to an alteration of kisses between mouth and neck. Then when they burned themselves out of a flurry of passion, they returned to their tenderness and let their hands rove around each other's bodies. Finally, Inuyasha lay his hands on her shoulders and she lay her hands on his chest.

"Nice to meet you Kagome Higurashi," he said.

"Mm, nice to meet you too," she said. They kissed full-on and pressed themselves together. They turned as one and all sense of time disappeared.

When it was dark, they crept downstairs hand in hand. They found their food sitting in the warmer and by all appearances, they had missed dinner.

"Oops," Kagome said. They crept onward and found the light on in Mrs. Higurashi's bedroom. They quietly knocked on the door.

"Come in dear," said Mrs. Higurashi opening the door. A rectangle of light flooded the dark hall.

Kagome and Inuyasha moved into the room and found Aijo fast asleep. They held onto each other looking down. Kagome had her hand hooked in his collar, his on her waist. At the moment, all they felt was peace, and pride of what they saw.

"Thanks Mama for watching him," said Kagome.

"Not at all," said Kagome's mother. "This is one thing a mother should be honored to do for their daughter."

Kagome smiled happily. "Thanks Mom," she said.

Back in the feudal ages, Shippo was staying with Old Kaede. Inuyasha and Kagome had dropped him off. He was coloring with his crayons happily.

For Miroku and Sango however, things were much harder. They suddenly found themselves responsible for four extra demons. Not only were they demons whom were strange to them and raised their mistrust, they were extremely weak demons. With Kan as the exception, they kept wailing about not being to carry their own luggage. They complained about getting their clothes dirty. They gripped about the food. Normally Miroku was patient but he just felt like hitting one of them. "Patience Miroku," he told himself over and over. He forced a wane smile.

Getting impatient, they sent Myoga on Kilala to find Hodgi the old racoon-dog. He was a simple solution to their problem since he could transport all of them at once to a suitable place to stay. Miroku decided to take them all back to the temple where he was raised by the old Monk Mushin. He could get some support and consorts could have some of the luxury that they craved.

Hodji flew them up into the clouds and then dropped back down to earth by the old Monk Mushin's home. He waited patiently for everyone to get off and then turned back into his usual form with a little pop.

"Thank you Hodji," said Miroku handing him a tip. Surprisingly, Hodgi didn't take it.

"Actaully Miroku," said he. "I was hoping you would reward me in some other way. You see, I need help with a teensy weensy little problem of mine."

"What is that?" asked Miroku seriously.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha; any reference to a real product is unintended.

**Chapter 22: An Unexpected Source of Discord**

Kagome woke up at the break of dawn. She scooted herself out from Inuyasha's draping arm and let her feet down onto the cold floor. As the bottom of her feet made contact with the smooth wood, she shivered. It was much colder here outside of the sheets and her lover's arms. The thin nightshirt she was wearing was insufficient against the draft, so Kagome went to the window to close it. Carefully, she lashed it shut and turned around to see Inuyasha staring at her from his place on the bed.

"What?" Kagome asked him.

"You didn't really think I wouldn't notice did you?" he asked frowning. "You woke me up, sneaking off like that."

Kagome smirked, a mischievous grin playing around her corners. "I can get up if I want to," she said.

"Not if it wakes me up."

"Oh yes I can," said Kagome teasingly. She whapped his ears with a pillow playfully and sidled up onto him.

"Now you get up," she said looking down at him. She leaned over the pillow and caressed her lips with his.

After the kiss, Inuyasha sighed. He bolted up dumping Kagome backward. With an "eep", she fell onto her butt only to be pressed backwards by Inuyasha as he lay himself on top of her, pressing her down.

"Let's see you leave now," he said interrupting her protest with a kiss. He dipped his head and dragged his teeth on her neck, giving it a fond lick. He sniffed it carefully. "We're still close," he spoke measuredly. "We shouldn't let our mark fade."

Kagome shivered as his hot breath blew across her skin. She remembered well the day Inuyasha has marked her. After the first time they had made love, before they returned to Miroku and Sango, Inuyasha had suddenly caught up Kagome in his arms. He had shocked her by biting down into the side of her neck and licking it. What astounded Kagome even more was how painless it had been. As Inuyasha's teeth made contact with her skin, she had felt a glowing warmth., a sense of worth she had never before experienced. She felt desired, protected, loved.

"All right," Kagome breathed holding herself tense for what was to come. She was desperate for it, yet still fearful. Inuyasha sensed the taughtness in her body and rolled off her so he could massage the lower of her back.

"Relax Kagome," he said somewhat anxiously. "I thought you said it didn't hurt."

"No," said Kagome her eyes still closed. "It's not that. It's just that I'm still not used to the idea of getting bitten." Her eyes fluttered open. "But I want it. I want...us," she ended.

"Kagome," he scolded gently. He continued to rub the small of her back and then on impulse pulled her up with him so they were both seated on the bed. He brushed aside the hair on her neck and gently began to kiss it. Then he began to lick her neck and stopped at the mark.

"Trust me Kagome," he said. "Would I ever do anything to hurt you?"

"Yes," said Kagome. "Only not willingly." She remembered Kikyo and all his careless ways in battle all too well. But she realized the reality that those whom you love will hurt you. Her experiences with him before Aijo had taught her that well. She was not a naive child parading as an adult. She had the mind of a mature woman.

"Do it," she commanded wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her waist and carefully sunk his teeth into her. Kagome shuttered in a sudden flood of warm emotion. She felt his concern as well, as if his feelings came in to merge with her own. She felt like purring in her sense of being safe at home in Inuyasha's arms.

Inuyasha pressed his tongue against her neck and within a minute it was safe to let go. The bleeding had stopped or perhaps never even started. Instead, a scar had formed establishing her as his own. Inuyasha dropped his head and sniffed her. At last he seemed satisfied and he let her go.

Kagome pushed a thread of hair back. "Fine," she snapped in mock anger. "But we have to get up now. We have a lot to do today."

"Like return to the Feudal Era?" he said.

"No," said Kagome emphatically. "I have shopping to do and Momma asked me to talk to her last night. I'll do that this morning."

Kagome got up off the bed, the coils quaking in protest. He pulled off her nightshirt and began to get dressed. Inuyasha sat looking at her, admiring her curves.

"Are you gonna sit there all day and watch me?" she asked scoldingly.

"I'm already dressed," he said winning the argument. Short of baths and love with Kagome, hardly anything could get him out of his trademark red kimono.

Last night, as babies do, Aijo had woken up several times. Constantly interrupted sleep for months now was a large part of the reason Kagome was so stressed out. Inuyasha however seemed immune to her frazzle. Due to his half-demon nose, he was used to waking up repeatedly in the night to scout his surroundings. He wasn't suffering as much as she was.

Kagome sighed and put a spoon into her bowl. She had come down this morning to find her mother happily puttering about. Kagome downed some miso soup before giving Aijo his morning feeding.

Cautiously, she lowered Aijo onto her breast to suckle. He began to happily suck, clinging onto her with tiny fingers. But then Kagome's dread came true as he bit his baby fangs into her delicate flesh. "Yow!" she cried. "Aijo!" She knew she definitely needed to buy a teething ring today.

After his feeding, Kagome burped Aijo and settled him into his crib. She looked down to examine two small red spots on her skin. "Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked with concern squeezing her arm.

"Yeah," she said softly. "It seems both of you put a claim on me." Inuyasha smiled in a pleased way.

"Kagome, Inuyasha," Kagome's mother called into the living room. "If you're done I want to talk to both of you." They nodded and looked at each other with curiosity.

Kagome's mother entered bearing an old-style wedding kimono and a modern bridle gown. She held them out in front of her and Kagome just stared at them. "Mama, we're already married. In a sense."

"In that world," Mrs. Higurashi said. "But here you don't have any legal paperwork."

"Mama," Kagome protested. "Inuyasha doesn't have any id here. He doesn't even have a last name."

"I know dear," said Mrs. Higurashi. "But I just can't let you drop off the face of the earth even if you did. We'll just have to fake it."

"Fake it?" Kagome asked.

"Yes," said Mrs. Higurashi brightly. "Just put these on dear. I bought a new digital camera for this. We'll just snap a few poses so I can show everyone how cute you looked when you got married."

"But Mama," said Kagome.

"Come on Kagome," said her mother. "Do this for me please? That reminds me, I've been telling everyone you've been out of the country so if anyone asks you were in Scandinavia."

"Scandinavia?" Kagome asked alarmed.

"Yes," said Kagome's mom brightly. "I had your passport stamped by an old friend of your father's at the embassy."

"You did what?" said Kagome flustered.

"How else was I supposed to explain your absence for months?" Kagome's mom asked. "Besides, you'll most likely be spending years there without hardly a visit," she finished sadly.

"Right," Kagome said doubtfully. "Well, at least it's a better story than one Gramps might have come up with."

"Hey!" said the old man coming into the room followed by Sota.

"Hey Sis," said Souta brightly. "Hey Dog-Brother. Are you all staying for a while?"

"Not long," said Inuyasha sourly.

"A few days," said Kagome overriding him. She leant down to tickle Buyo the cat who was rolling around on the rug. The playful feline gave her a scratch and Kagome licked the cut idly. She failed to notice Inuyasha tossing Buyo out the door.

"Are you going shopping today?" asked Souta.

"Yeah," said Kagome. "How did you know?"

Souta shrugged. "You always go shopping nowadays. You seem to come back more for food than a visit."

Kagome blushed. "Well I'm very busy and I happen to have my own life right now. I'm sorry if . . ."

"It's okay Sis!" said Souta waving his hands. "I know Inuyasha needs you on the other side of the well.. You've grown up now."

"Yeah," said Kagome. The two siblings stared at each other. Kagome smiled.

"You seems a lot more grown up too," she said.

"Yeah well," said Souta importantly. "It takes a lot out of ya being the head of a household."

"Hey!" Gramps said.

"So can I go shopping with you two?" Souta asked Kagome. "It's been a long time since I've seen you Sis."

Kagome hesitated. She still remembered calling him a little brat but now he seemed a lot older. Besides, he was right. Now was a good time to spend some quality time with her little brother. "Sure," she said.

So after some pictures and encouraging Inuyasha to wear his baseball cap, they set off downtown. Kagome's mom provisioned them with a collapsible stroller so after riding the train which Inuyasha complained endlessly about, they unfolded it and put Aijo inside. They strolled off down the street to the nearest shopping outlet on the boulevard. Other shoppers milled about them, dropping curious and approving glances at the stroller. Nearly everyone loves the presence of a cute baby. Some of the older folks and especially women who were mothers themselves dropped by to see Aijo and to pay compliments. Inuyasha folded his arms and took it as patiently as he could. He doubted they would think he was that cute if they knew he wasn't all human. Kagome, however, nodded and smiled filled with a warm-glowing pride. She was glad that others agreed with her mother's prejudice. To her, Aijo was the best and cutest kid around.

They made their way to a place selling baby clothing and Kagome tried all sorts of cute outfits on Aijo. Inuyasha found a baseball cap like his own only in infant size and tried it experimentally on Aijo's head. The child laughed and threw up his fingers. Then he grabbed the cap and threw it around.

"I think he likes it," said Kagome approving. "Besides, it makes him look like his father." She smiled.

"Yeah, it hides some of the obvious differences."

"Shh," said Kagome putting a finger to her lips and looking around worriedly. She didn't want anyone to overhear references to Inuyasha's ears. Souta was yawning and Inuyasha was impatient, so they packed up and bought three new outfits and the hat. Then, they walked next door so Kagome could buy some things for herself.

"Hurry up," Inuyasha wailed for the umpteenth time. Souta rubbed his eyes wishing he hadn't come. The boys were hanging around outside the lingerie section when suddenly they were approached by a saleswoman.

"Sir, would you be interested in looking at some lovely perfumes for your wife?" she said.

"Gah," thought Inuyasha. "No," he said out loud. He liked Kagome's smell the way it was and he remembered well all the trouble the last bottle had brung though it ended well.

When the salesperson had gone away disappointed, they moved curiously up to the counter looking at all the perfume bottles.

"Look," said Souta pointing a finger. "That's the same cologne I bought Sis."

"You bought?" said Inuyasha his eye twitching. He sucked it in and ground his teeth.

"Look," said Souta excitedly pointing else out. "The same company made other perfumes. Here's one called Dark Night's Obsession 22." He turned the bottle over in his hands. "It has glowing letters like the last time. But this one says for use on demons and hanyous."

The salesclerk had no idea what they were talking about but she got excited about their interest. She pulled a small vial from under the counter.

"Here," she said eagerly. "Try a small sample." She tried to force it in his hand.

"Forget it," said Inuyasha pushing it back.

"Inuyasha!" said Kagome returning with a bag of her purchases. "Stop arguing with her and just take it." She took it from him and dropped it in her bag after glancing at it curiously.

"But Kagome," spouted Inuyasha. "It's dangerous. Who knows..."

"I'll give it to Sango," said Kagome. "Don't worry I won't use it," she said. "She can look at it and then ditch it or something. Maybe she can use it in our battles." Kagome laughed. "Ooo, scary thought. Naraku attracted to some slug demon."

"Kagome," said Inuyasha shocked.

"Don't worry," she said waving a hand dismissively. "It says for use on demons and hanyous this time, so it shouldn't affect you like last time even if I did use it." She spoke very quietly so no one would hear but Inuyasha wasn't at all pacified. They quarreled all the way home and when they got back to their room at the shrine, Inuyasha snatched the bottle and threw it out the window. They exited the room still arguing.

Outside the window, a seagull was passing by. He spotted the soaring bottle and caught it in his bill. He flew in the window and landed in the room, transforming into a spiky-eared demon. The demon sniffed around curiously and looked at the bottle.

"Well," he said speaking with interest. "There must be some new demon-bloods on the block... I'll have to drop in to say hello sometime." With that, he tucked the bottle into Kagome's travel bag and retransformed. He flew off with a stir of the wind and energy pulsed, washing all scent away. The door was thrown open. Inuyasha and Kagome had felt a presence but all they found was the stirring of the wind and a smell like sunflowers.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 23: Confessions of the Masculine Vanity**

Kagome and Inuyasha went grocery shopping the next day in preparation for their long journey. Not that they didn't have enough food at the moment after the palace, but rather that they lacked ramen noodles and things containing sugar. Inuyasha made sure to include beef on the list. He had enjoyed it ever since Kagome's mother had introduced him to her slowly cooked, juicy then broiled flank steak.

They also picked up the pictures Kagome's mother had asked them to develop and were walking back home when abruptly Kagome ducked around Inuyasha's shoulder. "Hide me," she hissed.

"Kagome what," started off Inuyasha before noticing that Kagome's three school friends were approaching. It seemed they had just been let out of school for the day and were laughing and talking. They had their schoolbags slung on their backs and nice crisp uniforms. A fourth girl was talking to them and she waved a hand and moved off. They spotted Inuyasha and moved towards him.

"Hi Inuyasha," one of them said. "Where's.. Kagome there you are! It's great to see you!" One of the three girls pulled Kagome around by an arm. She dropped it in surprise as she saw the baby carrier on Kagome's back.

"Kagome! Is he... yours?" Kagome nodded fearfully.

"So," said another of the three girls. "That's why you missed all that school. You were... pregnant?" Kagome nodded. How was she supposed to explain that the length of her pregnancy for her was only three months and not closer to a year? Besides that, Aijo was already three months old himself and looked older than that. She sensed the only logic they could come up with was that she had committed some infraction a long time in the past back when she was sixteen and pulling fake illnesses.

"Kagome," said one of them dropping her voice unaccusingly. "You really should have told us."

Kagome scratched her head trying to find a way out of this. "It's not like that," she said quickly. "Inuyasha and I are married. See?" She whipped out the pictures from her purse, suddenly grateful for her mother's scheme. She pulled out a particularly nice one with her standing in a long-train gown, smiling and clinging to Inuyasha's shoulder, his hands draped around her waist as he was wont to do. No professional photographer could have done better, except that the ears were cut off at the top.

"Ooh, Kagome," one of them squealed. "Is it true? Are you two really married? Congratulations!" They dug into the pictures and passed them around admiring. It seemed Kagome had been first to reach the little girl's dream.

"When did it happen?" they asked her.

"A long time ago," said Kagome. "Not long after my sixteenth birthday."

"That's right," Kagome thought to herself. "That's when I fell down the well. That's when I was dragged off by Inuyasha and we started our journey together."

"You were married way back then?" one of them said incredulously.

"Er, no," said Kagome. "That's when we first met. On my birthday. I fell...ill suddenly on my way to school and Inuyasha came to my rescue. We fell for each other quickly after that. He was always by my side for a while taking care of me and I just sort of chose to stay with him."

"But Kagome," one of them protested. "You said he was only your boyfriend."

"Er," said Kagome. "I lied. Sorry guys. That's why I was so not into Hojo and always showing him up. I was afraid to tell anyone that I gave myself up so readily. They get married quite young in the place he comes from."

"Where is Inuyasha from?" they asked her.

"Er, Scandinavia," said Kagome. She had no idea what the marital climate there was like so she added, "it's more of something common to his family."

"Oh," said the three girls. As if of one mind, they looked up at the carrier. "Is it a boy or a girl?" one asked.

"Boy" said Kagome. This was getting to be more of a conversation she liked. "His name is Aijo."

"Oh, that's sweet," the curly-haired one cooed. They spent the next fifteen minutes taking turns holding Aijo at Kagome's direction.

"Enough," said Inuyasha finally. "Come on Kagome. It's time we got back."

"To Scandinavia?" she asked him.

"To the Feudal Era," said Inuyasha firmly glaring her in the eye. "I'm sick of all these lies Kagome." He whipped off his hat and pointed to his ears.

"I'm a half-demon," he said plainly. "I'm keeping Kagome for myself. I marked her. She's mine."

"Inuyasha!" seethed Kagome.

"Shut up Kagome," he said rudely. "You know you don't belong in this world any more. Your place is in the past fighting demons, and with me," he ended more softly.

"Inuyasha!" screamed Kagome. "How dare you say that! After all I've been through to keep this a secret. If anyone knew I was out slaying demons, and that I had spiritual power, and that I could pass through the well through time, I just don't know what would happen!" She would have continued but she was interrupted as she stopped to catch her breath.

"You're a priestess?" the curly-haired one said.

"Wow Kagome," said another. "If I had known you were out risking your life there's no way I would have let you go back. You're so brave." She clutched Kagome's arm.

"Tell us Kagome," said a third in earnest.

Kagome took a deep steadying breath. Suddenly she was glad Inuyasha had blurted it all out. Here it was at last. A chance to get the truth out and guilt from off her chest. She had always secretly wanted to tell them even though she feared to. They were her friends after all."I've been in the Warring-States Era all this time," she said defeatedly. She knew it seemed unbelievable, but she was shocked by the looks on their faces. They seemed to be accepting her strange words as true. Emboldened by their trust, she continued on.

"On the day of my fifteenth birthday, I went to the well to get Buyo. He was hiding down there. Suddenly, the well itself split open and I was dragged down by a demon. I seemed to be floating nowhere, with no time and no space. I couldn't even feel my body anymore. But then I felt this great glow throbbing inside of me. It seemed to tear something open and I started to feel pulled toward something. I saw in my mind the flash of a tree and a figure on it, some blood, and villagers around me. I think it was Kikyo's last moments." She paused. Inuyasha was looking at her curiously. Kagome continued.

"But the demon wouldn't let go of me and I felt like time was slipping away. So I held out my hand and blasted the demon. It just sort of happened, like that." She flicked a hand demonstratively. "I continued onward to the place I was pulled and found myself at the bottom of the well. Only it wasn't our well in our time anymore. I found myself in the past in Feudal Japan. I climbed out and the first thing I saw was Inuyasha." Everyone was very silent. Kagome could hear herself breathe as she continued.

"But when I saw him it's not like I knew him. It was just that I was drawn to his ears. I thought how cute they were and I... played with them." Kagome blushed and Inuyasha flicked his ears back. He hadn't known about that.

"I think that's why he woke up later," said Kagome. She was always good at figuring things out. "Before I knew it the jewel was broken and Inuyasha and I were traveling together trying to collect the shards. We met all sorts of people and some of them joined our group. I adopted Shippo and then, well I had Aijo. Somewhere along the line Inuyasha and I fell in love. We fought with each other all the time at first, but we battled together and he was always by my side. Or rather, I was by his. He grew stronger and more gentle and before I knew it, we were together. We didn't really get married I admit it," Kagome said blushing," but he marked me instead. It's the equivalent of marriage from his youkai side. I love Inuyasha, and I decided a long time before that I wanted to stay with him."

"So how long has it been now?" Kagome's friend asked.

"Nine months," Kagome said boldly. "Aijo was born after only six and he's three and a half months now." She spoke with a mother's pride. Forgetful of all her previous reservations.

After that, Kagome's friends asked a lot of questions. She had said a lot of things they didn't understand and they wanted to know about her adventures, the difficulties she faced, all the cool stuff could do. They listened in awe and Kagome spoke openly, feeling for the first time in a long time truly free. They stood all around her for an hour before for comfort's sake, they walked off to a park.

When they got to the part about Inuyasha's sword, he got very excited. In a show of boastfulness and before Kagome could stop him, he pulled out his sword and swung it through several trees. She sat him for that and spent the next several minutes explaining his collar. After that, they all piled on Inuyasha for some height-defying piggy-back rides, bounding off roof-tops. At last, with the sun going down and some of the groceries consumed, they said goodbye. Kagome had one last question however.

"Thanks guys," she said. "But how come you believed me so easily? It's not like it's something that happens every day."

"No," said the straight-and-short-haired girl. "But you're our friend Kagome. We trust you, even if you lie to us."

Kagome sweat-dropped. "Sorry guys," she said.

"It's all right," said the short-haired girl waving. "Take care of yourself Kagome. Call me if you have the time to visit." Then they went away just like that.

"Thanks Inuyasha," said Kagome snuggling into his shoulder. All was forgiven between them.

"Keh," said Inuyasha impolitely but with affection.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 24: A Little Bit of Sango/ Miroku Love**

Back in the Feudal Era, Miroku was suffering from a major migraine. For his reward, Hodji had them routing out bands of demons which had settled into the orchards he and his demon relatives depended on. After a long day of fighting, Miroku had returned to Mushin's temple only to find that Mushin had Inuyasha's consorts dancing for him and was drinking up a storm. Miroku felt inclined to watch too, but Sango hit him on the head and dragged him away. So here he was left with a migraine and a feeling of disappointment. He lay back on his pallet and sighed.

As he lay resting, he heard sudden footsteps across the floor and Sango softly entered. She rolled back the door with a gentle whoosh and lay a wooden tub beside him. Miroku looked up at the sound of water beating down after being wrung from a wetcloth and felt the press of damp fabric on his head.

"Try to lie down," said Sango gently. "You should get your rest. It's been a long day."

"You were fighting too," Miroku pointed out. "You should also lie down." He patted the floor beside him and Sango scooted far away.

"No thank you," said Sango stoutly. "I'm not that tired. I do hope that Inuyasha and Kagome come back soon. It's not the same without them."

"Feeling lonely?" asked Miroku turning on the charm. "I know that I'm lonely too."

"Spare me Miroku," said Sango getting to her feet. She got to the door but then stood there with her hands on the handle looking back.

"I don't want to endure your antics but, I would appreciate it if you came with me looking at the stars tonight," she said reddening up. "It's been a long time since we could just relax and I think," she held her breath before continuing, "that it would be a good opportunity to spend some time together just the two of us."

Miroku nodded. He smiled when she slid shut the door. Today was turning out decent after all.

They ate dinner quietly with the wolf demons looking at them curiously. They did not know what was up but they sensed something was about to happen. Mushin tried to engage Miroku in talk, but his mind was clearly elsewhere so Mushin began rambling without any interruption.

At last Miroku stood up from dinner and Sango followed him to the door. "Going out my boy?" asked Mushin.

"I need to spend some time with my fiancee," said Miroku laying a hand on Sango's shoulder. She tolerated it.

After they had gone out, Mushin lifted up a cup to his lips and smiled. "Reminds me of his mother, that girl," said Mushin with great content. "Always had to beat him senseless to keep him in line, she did." The old monk drained his cup and veered into reminiscences of Miroku's father, his old friend.

Outside under the stars and in the midst of the black, the air hung clear and almost rigid. Sango and Miroku could hear the crunch of gravel below their feet as they left the porch by the waterfall and passed out the front to wander in the cleared space around the grave of Miroku's father. They looked up at the stars solemnly.

"Was it hard for you?" said Sango finally breaking the silence.

Miroku answered softly. "Yes," he said. "I thought about it for a long time. I still do. I'm frightened by what may be my fate."

"I'm sorry," said Sango remaining by his side. "Don't worry. We'll do everything we can to help."

"Thank you Sango," said Miroku quietly. "Your concern for me means a great deal to me." He continued looking up at the stars.

"Miroku," said Sango shaking her head.

"Damn!" thought Miroku. He was caught.

"Don't worry," said Sango. "This one's on the house." She snaked her hand around her back and grabbed hold of his hand. Then she scooted into his arm so that his arm was wrapped around her waist instead. "Now this is better," she said. Miroku thought he had died or was in a dream as he stood there with the woman he loved, her soft body heat mingling with his own against the sting of night air. Without thinking, he leaned down to kiss her and found himself slapped downward into the ground.

"Not so fast, foot loose," said Sango stalking off angrily. Miroku dusted himself off and caught up with her.

Instead of walking back to the temple however, Sango froze. "Miroku," she said quietly. "Do you feel that?"

"Yes," said Miroku solemnly. "A demon." It felt like it was on all sides around them, circling. They were disadvantaged in the dark, not being able to see anything. Worse, Sango had left her weapons inside the temple since she was wearing her kimono, all except her concealed knife and some poison powder tablets.

The two humans drew together in the dark waiting for a strike. They listened all around when suddenly without a wingbeat a demon bird of the night flew above them. It was an enormous crow demon. It leaned down on them with red glowing eyes reaching out its claws.

"Sango!" shouted Miroku swinging his staff upward. It hit the demon and stunned it, causing it to flap angrily up into the air. Miroku threw out one of his sutras and with an angry crackle the scroll brought the bird down.

"Thanks Miroku," said Sango. She looked at him in the dim light, the glow of the stars. Maybe he was strong enough for her. If only he wasn't such a cheater. Still, in the moment he was hers and she was glad. She herself resisted kissing him and slowly walked back to the temple.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:** Names or places used in this story are not intended to refer to any real places, people, or things. Don't sue me. Inuyasha and all the associated characters are not owned by me. Also, I'm borrowing someone else's computer, haha! So when I get something out you're lucky. So there.

**Chapter 25: A Family Outing **

It was a sunny day in the old ballpark until Kagome and Inuyasha decided to show. It seemed Mrs. Higurashi had won a drawing from the local supermarket. The prize was five free baseball tickets to one of the home games of a Japanese sports team. She was a bit surprised to win it herself. She had entered the contest half-heartedly and had forgotten all about it. She didn't follow baseball really. Still, she visited the grocery store almost daily nowadays. Kagome was perpetually siphoning off food stuffs to take back to the Feudal Era, so it was nearly every meal that Mrs. Higurashi reached for something and found it wasn't there. Either that or Kagome showed up out of the blue and cleared out her kitchen. So, on one of her reliably frequent visits to the grocery store, Mrs. Higurashi had finally decided to drop an entry card into a cardboard box lodged between cases of hotdogs. It was all on a whim really, and on a whim she decided to turn the opportunity into a real family outing.

Mrs. Higurashi showed up wearing a floppy hat. "Now remember everyone," she said. "Remember to wear your sunscreen."

"Keh," said Inuyasha. He had asked Kagome about the stuff and decided he didn't need it. Besides being part demon, his robe was SPF-50 billion.

"Hm," said Grandpa moodily. He didn't like being dragged from the temple.

"Oh yeah!" said Sota cheering with his hands above his head. "This is going to be great Inuyasha. I collect sports cards so I can tell you all about the players. They're totally awesome. Sure, they can't flip in the air like you, but they can hit a ball about a mile just like that." He demonstrated in the air with an imaginary bat. Inuyasha didn't really follow. Kagome clutched onto his arm and he looked down at her.

"What?" said Inuyasha.

"Did you feel that?" asked Kagome. Inuyasha swiveled his ears around beneath his hat.

"Yeah," he said. "It's faint, but it's the same presence from yesterday." He felt Kagome pull on his arm again.

"What?" he asked her.

"I need to use the restrooms," she said. "Hold Aijo for me would you?"

"Great," said Inuyasha. Kagome stalked off and he followed her through the hall as far as he could. He didn't want any demon to get her but he couldn't go into the ladies room. The place was milling with humans. So instead he dropped back by one of the booths and looked at all the stickers, flags, and other symbol-bearing merchandise for sale. Inuyasha was standing there with the vendor talking in vain when he caught a whiff of a sunflower smell.

Without a word, Inuyasha slipped away from the vender. His ears were working overtime under his hat and Aijo was cooing. Great. He couldn't fight this demon with Aijo in his hands yet he didn't want it to get away either. So he took the only option he saw available to him. Spy. He slipped behind the popcorn stand just as quietly as he was able to sit motionlessly on the bows of Goshinoboku, waiting for deer to walk by. He could sense the demon aura coming closer, but his own aura was masked by the Tetsusiaga and his human blood.

Inuyasha perked up his ears and watched what appeared to be a fair-skinned human saunter by. The difference was, Inuyasha could swear he had slightly pointed ears beneath that hair and a baseball cap flagged with logos. Most of all, he was pouring off an aura that was distinctively demon. Inuyasha held Aijo back who was wriggling towards the buttery popcorn. He stood up as the demon rounded the bend. Unexpectedly, Inuyasha was startled by someone standing behind him..

What are you doing back here?" said Kagome scaring the daylights out of him. How she had found him and snuck up on him without him noticing seemed beyond his knowledge.

"Relax Inuyasha. Remember that you renewed the mark right?"

"Oh yeah," he said his heart beat easier. The mark had several functions it seemed. One was purely territorial but on the reverse side it allowed him to figure out where Kagome was on instinct. It seemed the reverse was also true for her. It also blended her presence with his when she was near.

"It's definitely a demon," said Inuyasha softly.

Kagome shrugged. "It doesn't seem to be doing any harm."

"I don't like it," said Inuyasha. "It doesn't seem to have any scent of its own and it was in our room remember?"

"Should we go after it?" asked Kagome. She looked at Aijo and seemed to change her mind. "I don't know Inuyasha. Everyone's waiting for us."

So, since the demon was gone to another end of the stadium anyway, they returned to their seats. They weren't bad seats either.

"Wo, hoo, hoo!" shouted Souta hanging off the edge of a booth. The players were nothing more than tiny figures below but they could see the whole field. Inuyasha was not impressed. They were throwing around a little ball and he was pretty sure he had thrown boulders farther than that. Still, when a ball came flying into the stands, he listened sympathetically to Souta's complaints.

"Ah man," Souta said. "I wish I could catch one of those home run balls but they'll never come up here." Inuyasha looked at the scrambling crowd below. He tweaked round his ears and stood up.

"Where are you going Inuyasha?" asked Kagome.

"To catch the next one," said he.

"No!" said Kagome.

"Good luck," said Kagome's mom.

"All right!" said Souta. "Can I keep it?"

"Sure," said Inuyasha. He leapt straight up and disappeared onto the roof above. Somebody who was watching dropped their drink on their foot.

A flag fluttered high up on a pole. A crack on wood was heard and a ball soared up in the sky towards eager, expecting fans. They all looked up, shielding their eyes as they watched the ball fall. Suddenly, a blur shot across the sky and the ball ceased its plummet. A figure flipped through the air and landed neatly on the concrete wall dividing the fans from the field. For many there, the ball had seemed to simply disappear. A few moments later hundreds of people gaped to see it in someone's hand, and an extraordinarily strange someone at that. But then again, sometimes sports fans wore strange things.

"Ha!" said Inuyasha holding up the ball. He tucked it in his robes and ran up the steps to bound up the rooftops. He reached the top and looked down triumphantly. He pulled out the ball and looked at it.

"I don't know what all the excitement is about," he said. "But it will make Kagome's kid brother happy." He was just standing there thinking about things when suddenly he sensed demon energy from behind. It came down on him with unexpected speed from the sky and nearly tackled him. Instead, Inuyasha leapt straight up in the air and turned around to face his attacker. His nostrils were flooded with scent of sunflowers. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"Who are you?" retorted the figure his voice cracking with indignation. "Showing yourself off in front of humans and taking that ball. I happen to like baseball. Whoever you are, I don't like your attitude."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Bah. So are you the only demon around here or are there others like you hiding about?"

"You really don't know?" said the demon icily. "An orphan or something are you?"

Inuyasha spat. "Like it's any of your business. All I know is that I've sensed you before. You broke into my den and I'm going to make you pay for that." He pulled out his sword and the demon narrowed his eyes. His pointy ears stood out now, his hat being blown off by the wind. There was green lined in that hair, and his eyes were hazel.

"A rough boy are you?" said the demon with displeasure. "I assure you there was no harm intended in my visit. But I must warn you. It's forbidden for those demons living among humans to reveal themselves as such. You'll be in trouble with more than me before this day is through." He crackled his knuckles ominously. "Let's have a little one-on-one to determine who gets to keep that baseball. I win, you never show up here again."

Inuyasha calmed down a little by these words. "Bah," he said. "I ain't used to such petty stakes. When I win, I take your head." He lifted his sword up and rested the dull blade on his shoulder. He looked the demon over. He was young with a strong aura.

"Listen," he said harshly but with some reason. "I ain't exactly from around here. So you tell me why you busted into my room and I'll leave your territory alone."

The young demon blinked. "Territory? Are you from the woods or something?"

"As a matter of fact I am," said Inuyasha. The demon drew in a calming breath. The statement seemed to explain things to the demon. When he opened his eyes again, it without much animosity.

"Listen," said the pointy-eared demon. "Life here in the city is different. A demon who wants to live here has to adapt. We can't go walking about in our non-humanoid forms. Similarly, we aren't allowed to use our supernatural powers in ways that would be noticeable."

"Yeah? By who?" said Inuyasha bluntly.

"Even demons have rulers," said the pointy-eared demon. "Especially in these times."

Inuyasha looked at him sternly. Then he lowered his sword and resheathed it. "Keep talking," he commanded.

"Very well," said the young demon trying not to agitate the edgy new guy. He slowly pulled a charm out of his pocket. "Have you ever seen one of these?" he asked.

"No," said Inuyasha in the same annoyed vein.

"It is made by Kitsunes Incorporated. The company sells these to demons and part-demons to hide their demon characteristics."

"So I take it there are other demons in hiding?" said Inuyasha.

"Exactly," said the hazel-eyed demon. "There are very few, but there are some which live peacefully among the humans. Most of them are canine in origin but there are felines, weasels, and others. I am a bird demon for example."

"Really," said Inuyasha. "Then tell me why I haven't sensed a damn one."

"That is the fault of a perfume," said the demon.

"A perfume?" said Inuyasha frowning. It was always about that these days.

"There's a potion called Sunlit Obscurity which allows demons to seal in their exact energy. All the demons living on this block use it since without it humans can be sensitive to our presence."

"What about you?" Inuyasha asked. Then demon shrugged.

"I don't wear it all the time. Sometimes it's nice to let down the energy wall to meet new demons. Especially at the ballpark. I haven't had a date for a while."

"Right," said Inuyasha. He was sounding more like Kagome with her modern talk than a demon as Inuyasha knew them.

"What's this about sunflowers then?" he questioned.

The demon shrugged again. Inuyasha noted how sloppily off guard he was. "A milder form of obscurity. This one blocks energy in only one of my forms. I don't wear the charm on weekends either. My humanoid form is close enough to pass, with a hat of course."

"So, what demons live around my den?" said Inuyasha conversationally. The demon was relieved he had dropped the beat-the-crap-out-of-you attitude. It was wearying.

"Only two. Old woman Shiori and myself. My sister moved out not long ago."

"Shiori?" asked Inuyasha. "Is she a half-demon?"

"Yes," said the spiky-eared demon. "A bat demon. She's quite old, but not as old as our present ruler. She was born in the feudal ages."

"Is that so?" said Inuyasha. "I'd like to meet her then."

The spiky-eared demon shrugged. "I can work with that. After the game I can show you around."

"All right," said Inuyasha firmly making a deal of it. So he hopped down into the stands and after hesitating the demon followed him.

"Where have you been?' Kagome hissed at him on his return. "I kept sensing you were about to battle." She rubbed her mark agitatedly then jiggled Aijo who was stuffing buttery popcorn in his mouth.

"Isn't he too young for that?" asked Inuyasha.

"Apparently not," explained Kagome. "He ripped some out of Souta's hands and ate the whole package before I could stop him. He ate several hot dogs, I mean frankfurters after that."

Inuyasha tousled Aijo's soft baby hair. The locks were getting quite long already. "Well, I found the demon. He's coming over now." He pointed a finger towards the hazel-eyed demon walking towards them through the crowd, his cap secured once more to hide his demon features.

The demon slid into the row where the Higurashi and Inuyasha families were seated. Souta's hair stood up on end and he shrank back in his seat. He had heard what Inuyasha had said about there being a demon. Gramps excitedly pulled out his scrolls and Kagome's mother tried to tell him not to insult their guest. "Now, now," she said waving a hand. Kagome snatched them before Gramps could launch them, not like they could actually do anything.

"Thanks Gramps," she said tucking them in her pocket. "These will come in handy." In her mind, Kagome noted she could always use them as kindling to start the campfire.

The young demon sat down in a chair next to Inuyasha who was left of Kagome who was left of everyone else. They looked at the field for a moment and then Kagome cleared her voice to take over. "Hi," said she. "I'm Kagome Higurashi. This is my husband Inuyasha whom you've met," the demon nodded," and this is our son Aijo." She tickled Aijo's chest because he was so cute and she was so proud.

The demon slowly raised a hand to his chest and Inuyasha watched it warily. He was feeling very protective and naturally he distrusted this demon. "My name is Arashiyama," uttered the demon carefully. "I live a few miles from the shrine, so you may or may not have seen me going to work in the mornings under human guise. I go by the name of Easaki Kaii then."

Mrs. Higurashi spoke up brightly. "Oh yes!" She said amiably. "I remember seeing you in the grocery store. You were so kind to me helping me get out that stuck cart."

Arashiyama nodded. "You're welcome ma'am," he said.

"Such a nice young man," continued Mrs. Higurashi. "Makes me wish I had two daughters."

"Mom!" said Kagome abashed. Grandpa sputtered and nearly fell out of his seat. Souta ducked down low thinking, "I hope she doesn't mean me." He was embarrassed at the thought she might prefer a girl.

"But I am very fortunate to have a fine son," she said correcting it. Souta straightened up, his man-of-the-house attitude back.

They dropped into a discussion of Tokyo, the demon's love for baseball, and eventually Shiori. When no one was looking Aijo snuck his hand around Sota's new baseball. He had watched enough of the game to get some sense of the rules so he launched the ball clear to home base and knocked out the batter.

"Oops," said Kagome in a cute manner. They sat there feigning innocence while security searched for a ball machine, one of those things that spit out baseballs or tennis balls at whatever speed you set the dial to. Then Kagome and Inuyasha slunk away, everyone else following. The game was dragging on anyway. Inexplicably, the announcers had stopped describing the game. Unknown to them, down in the broadcasting booth the sports journalists were pressing play and replay time and time again watching someone in a red kimono do flips and also a new reel of a flying ball conking out the first batter.

Clouds rolled over head and it began to sprinkle. Kagome's mom pulled an umbrella from her purse and they pushed past the quey of people lining up to buy overpriced ponchos. "Here you go dear," said Kagome's mother offering it to her.

"No thanks Mom," said Kagome sincerely. "Inuyasha and I were going to leave anyway so I'll just use his jacket. Don't worry."

So Souta, Gramps, and Mrs. Higurashi caught a cab back to the shrine. Kagome fastened up Aijo and climbed onto Inuyasha's back. He adjusted his kimono top over the both of them. Arashiyama accompanied them, ready to introduce them to the old lady Shiori as he said he would. He flew off in a spire of clouds and Inuyasha followed on foot leaping off the rooftops. They ran splashily past Higurashi shrine to a modern day apartment complex. The rain drizzled to a stop as they halted on a rooftop cluttered with potted plants. Puddles which had pooled on the concrete shone up at them like a field of mirrors.

"Her apartment is just below us," said Arashiyama. He leapt down onto a balcony with trained wisteria on it and Inuyasha followed. He let Kagome and Aijo down while their guide rapped on the door.

The sliding door opened to reveal a blue-haired woman. Her face was hardly lined so that one might mistake her for a thirty-year old. Yet, streaks of white out-numbered the blue and she walked with a distinct creakiness. She sat down slowly in a chair on the balcony.

"Yes?" said the old woman Shiori. "What brings you here Arashiyama?"

"I have come to introduce several acquaintances to you," said Arashiyama neatly. "These are Kagome and Inuyasha, also their son Aijo."

"Kagome and Inuyasha?" croaked the old woman brightly. "Aijo too? Those are the same names as some of our present rulers but dear me you're much too young for that. They're older than I am these days." She tapped her cane excitedly. "Yet, you look like a vision of what he used to look like in his youth. I remember those days. After he saved me, I would listen about him hopping around fighting this and that. Always a lot of energy that one."

She stood up on her cane and shuffled into the house. "Come in you all," said old woman Shiori. "I might as well make something to eat."

They followed her inside and immediately what caught their eye was cats. Lots of cats. The apartment was small yet about fifteen were milling around hanging out. There were toys and beds and litter-boxes everywhere and one of them had a little crown an a t-shirt with the word "princess" on it. She licked her paw haughtily.

"I spoil my darlings," explained old woman Shiori. "I hire help to take care of them. My old bones aren't what they used to be. They keep me company. I suppose it's different for everyone," she sighed.

It seemed Arashiyama had held this conversation with her before because he broke into her train of thought. "The old ruler and his wife died three years back remember?"

"Huh?" said Shiori. "Oh, yeah, yeah that's right. I guess I outlived them after all," she laughed. "Getting old though. Memory ain't what it used to be."

Kagome cleared her throat and asked her what she was like as a little girl. Shiori smiled, and for a moment the little girl in a white robe was detectable. Old woman Shiori rambled on for hours, the snacks entirely forgotten. She went on about living at the seashore, about wars and human technology, and about her daughter and great-grandchildren.

Shiori looked at them shrewdly once again. "You know, you really do look like him," she said. "They say he died young since demons can live for a thousand years but he was a half-demon so it's different for us." She sighed. "It's all those human nights I suppose."

Inuyasha was staring at the old woman Shiori who was rubbing her eyes. Kagome nudged him gently. "Come on," she hissed. "We had better leave." The old woman seemed tired so Inuyasha and Kagome stood up and left, both of them very thoughtful. Aijo slept in bliss, unmindful of such troubles as the passage of time.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 26: The Undomestification of Youkai**

Back in the Feudal Era, Sango and Miroku slept on in peace. They had spent the last few days resting at Mushin's temple, preparing themselves for their inevitable departure for Kouga's mountains. On this morning however, a rumbling broke out. The ground below the temple shook and half a dozen killer gophers popped out of the ground. "What is going on?" said Miroku slashing at them. He had been enjoying his sleep, especially the dreams.

"Youkai calls to youkai remember?" said Sango.

"Indeed," said Miroku swiping at one of them. He spoke rapidly. "Sango you go back to the temple and get those wolves out of there. We must lead them into the woods before the temple is destroyed."

"I'm on it," said Sango with her borrowed war cry. She ran forward and called out for Kilala. The little firecat grew larger with a loud pop and ran alongside Sango for a few moments so she could swing aboard. There was no need to fly yet, so they charged across the ground instead. Sango hopped down to relay Miroku's message to the wolf demons.

"But we can't fight," whined Jun.

"Enough," said Kan. "We are wolf demons. Though we may have never had the chance to fight, we are still wolf demons. Be proud of that. I'm going," she finished.

"But Kan," said Hisui shocked. "Wait for us!" said Hisui and Rinzu.

Sango followed them out on Kilala, watching their back. She watched wonderingly as Kan took a swipe at one of the demons troublemakers. Her aim and speed were poor, but the power was there. As she hit the ground with her fist, the rocks broke apart much as they did for Kouga. The rest of the wolf demons mostly ran in circles, but finally they used their claws and scared the attackers away.

"Not bad," said Sango smiling encouragingly as she landed with Kilala. The demon cat looked back at her as if to say, "You must be kidding."

"You know," said Miroku walking over. "Perhaps we should spend the day doing some training."

"Training?" squeaked Rinzu.

"Yes," he said seriously. "You will only be a danger to everyone else including Inuyasha," he stressed, "unless you learn to protect yourself."

"Very well," said Kan all business.

So they left the temple and Miroku led them to a rocky canyon. "Climb up," he said.

"You must be joking," said Jun.

"No," said Miroku with solemnity. "This is like the place you are going. You had better toughen yourselves up in the meantime. When he gets back, I'll ask Inuyasha to give you a lesson on using your claws."

"Come on girls," said Kan encouragingly. "Let's do this!" She led the way leaping up the rockface with great difficulty. She wasn't sure how to descend safely and spent a lot more time than she had spent going up trying to slide down.

"That's good," said Miroku. "Keep that up. We'll do this for a while and then run. I expect you to do this every day from now on."

"Hey!" said Jun angrily. "Who are you to say that?"

"I'm Inuyasha's friend and your caretaker," he said cutting her off. "He left me in charge of you."

"But he's dumping us anyway," said Jun. "In the middle of the woods for that matter."

"Inuyasha isn't like that," Miroku said calmly. "If you don't like the mountains I'm sure he'll take you back to the palace to stay. Only I suggest you stop calling yourself consorts. Inuyasha is very singular minded. If he has rejected you now there is no way he will accept you in the future."

The consorts mulled in silence. Miroku wasn't sure of what he was saying. Sometimes it was confusing with Inuyasha but on this he was pretty sure. Miroku wondered why they had not simply left the wolves at the palace. Perhaps it was Kan's spoken desire to run in the wild. Perhaps it was Inuyasha's own revulsion at seeing servants treated as unequals. When Inuyasha spoke to someone like Jakin or Myoga he picked them up so he could look them in the eye instead of talking down to them like Sesshomaru did. Sure, the hanyou could be violent and demanding as a master or friend. One could expect him to deal out hard knocks whenever he saw fit reason. But for the most part, he was reasonable and exerted his cruelty only when someone broke this one expectation: that they stand up by themself. There was no room in Inuyasha's world for sissies. It was made all too clear by his early treatment of the childishly wailing Shippo and his cringing flea servant. It was for this reason that Miroku felt so confident under Inuyasha's lead. He forced everyone to strive to do better themselves and to go forward with courage, not doubt. He led by example and by tormenting reluctance. Regarding the wolf demons, Miroku couldn't believe for a second that Inuyasha could feel anything for cringing, physically weak females. Instead, Miroku surmised that Inuyasha was giving them a chance to choose their own life for themselves instead of being unloaded on him against his will as well. To this purpose, the wolves would have to learn how to survive in the wild.

Miroku supervised the female wolf demons' leaping. Then, after a break for lunch and a respite, he sent them running. Miroku was quite an able runner himself even after having lost his three jewel shards. For a while, he kept a pace of them and finally he dropped back. The demonesses' natural endurance was kicking in and they sped on. They were not nearly as conditioned as Inuyasha but he didn't expect them to be. He waved a hand for them to stop and breathing hard they did. Miroku then had to endure a gale of complaints about his cruelty and their painful feet.

"That's good," he said trying to console them. "If you continue with this every day, it won't be long before you can stand up to any danger." Any danger except Naraku that was. Still, Miroku wondered what would happen if they really did get much stronger and stayed on with them. They could be powerful allies in battle, he thought. But it was better if they did not come for Kagome's sake.

Time lapsed and eventually Kagome, Inuyasha, and Aijo returned. Miroku demanded something of Inuyasha as soon as they landed. "Inuyasha," he said discreetly. "Please do something for me. Teach them how to hunt."

"What?" asked Inuyasha.

With some coaxing, Inuyasha relented. With four female demons following, along with the kitsune Shippo to supervise, he prowled off into the wood. He sniffed the earth and ground searching for scent. Then, upon finding a trail he traced the tracks, rubbings and other sign of a deer. Sometimes they moved quickly, Inuyasha leaping up with Shippo flouncing on his shoulder. Sometimes they moved slowly as he took a few minutes to sort through the odors.

"Over there," said Inuyasha at last quietly. "I prefer boar but for you deer is plenty hard enough. Careful or it will bolt." He slid gently towards it and the deer flicked an ear back. It heard nothing do it went back to eating with its head down.

The four female wolf demons waited with their breath held as he paused. Then, as the deer took a step forward to find a better part of the pasture, Inuyasha soared up into the air above it with one flying bound. He descended swiping with his claws. In one neat movement before the animal could react, he cut through its neck. They prey lay on the ground and Shippo dropped from Inuyasha's shoulder. He had ridden the whole thing out with a precarious hold. He sniffed the carcass mildly.

"It looks yummy," said the kitsune. "Are we going to eat it Inuyasha?"

"That's what we hunted it for," Inuyasha said slinging it over his shoulder.

Kan picked up the fallen head. "Milord," she said regally. "We prefer out meat uncooked. Please reserve some flank for us."

"I'll do that," said Inuyasha starting off, a deer on one shoulder and Shippo dangling off the other side murmuring about liking roasted meat. The female wolf demons followed after silently.

"Look," said Kun pointing to the ground as they journeyed. "Other deer." She stopped to sniff and the other wolf youkai gathered round to inspect what she had found.

"There are lots of them," said Inuyasha unexcited. "If there aren't, it's better to eat something else so there are more deer next year. Unless it's some greedy bastard eating them all. Then you have to kick his ass."

"You have your own forest right?" asked Kan.

"Sort of," replied Inuyasha. "I travel a lot nowadays but for a while the area around Goshinoboku was mine. When I was sealed, the villagers called the forest by my name. It's sort of a home range for me. I tend to kick out demons who eat humans, but I don't try to take out anybody if I can help it. If they don't bother me it's live and let live."

They trudged on silently for a while until in a clearing they spotted an unwary doe. Kan whispered something in the other wolves' ears and they all slid away from each other forming a circle. They paid attention to their feet and like a dance, they crept up to the deer. Suddenly, Kan's ears perked up and then she bobbed her head down. It seemed to be a signal. In the next second, Kan charged forward followed by the other wolves. She bit into the deer's neck and the other piled on its back. She reached up and ended its life.

"Woah," said Inuyasha to Shippo. "Remind me to never let them stay around Kagome." Shippo's tail was fluffed out and he was trembling in fear. He was only a little kitsune after all.

"Ye..yeah," he shuttered, "and don't let hem near me either." Inuyasha shrugged.

"As long as they eat it I don't have a problem."

So they trudged back to the camp and Inuyasha left the four wolf youkai outside the camp to eat their gory meal. For his part, Inuyasha like human food so he prepared his deer for cooking on the fire. There was plenty and to spare so Kilala ended up cleaning the scraps in her large demon form.

Kagome yawned. It was late night beyond the hour of crickets so Inuyasha unfolded a bed from things in her backpack and tucked she and Aijo in. He sat there with his ears flicking up like the sparks of the fire as he listened to the night. The wolf girls returned, the firelight reflecting in their emerald eyes.

"Thank you milord," said Kan reentering the circle.

"Don't think about it," said Inuyasha gruffly. He rubbed Kagome's hand in his own and glanced Kan's way.

Kan nodded her head and the wolves slunk off to curl up for the night in their luxurious bedding. Inuyasha leaned back and shut his eyes on guard as usual. A few moments later, he heard a gentle voice. "Why don't you wear shoes?" said Kan quietly.

"I wasn't born in a palace," said Inuyasha dryly. He looked across the tongues of a lulled fire. "I may be the son of a lord, but the woods are my inheritance." Kan nodded and the night stilled.

Kanna looked in her creepy mirror. "Mouryoumaru," she called. She had defected at this point in the manga and so was seemingly anti-Naraku now.

"Inuyasha and his group are near. There are four more demons in his wake." She held up the ghostly glass so her new master could see the image displayed within. She knew that Inuyasha was hunting her new master since destroying him was the only way of destroying Naraku. Long story so if you don't know it just assume it.

"We have to do something about that," said the creepy evil baby who held Naraku's heart from inside his living armor called Mouryoumaru. He narrowed his evil eyes. So this evil Naraku junior concocted an evil plan to destroy both his maker and those who pursued him.

A stream of enormous youkai rose from a pond followed by Naraku's poisonous insects. The buzzing sound permeated the air and Naraku's most recent incarnation appeared floating in the air on a paper crane. His flying eyeball was out, but as he waited there it returned to him to tell him what he had seen. "Interesting," said the demon. "Naraku will want to know." Then he flew away.

Hidden in an old human castle, Naraku pondered his fate. Even his incarnation as a fire demon had been used against him after being stolen by Kanna. She was the last one he had expected to be capable of feelings of resistance yet after the death of Kagura they had somehow lodged themselves in the frail white vessel. Now, her cause for existence was strengthening Mouryoumaru against his attacks. She was also instigating attacks on Inuyasha, since Naraku was no longer interested in pursuing him. Indeed, he was counting on him to fell the opponent he could not himself reach. He was the horse he was backing now. In fact, Naraku had sent Inuyasha unwilling aid by form of a demon hermit, the effect of which was the calming of Inuyasha's sword. Before that, it had been spewing out an excess of power Inuyasha had not been able to control due to his half-demon blood. Naraku's perception of Inuyasha as a nuisance had changed to that of a deadly opponent when Inuyasha had gained the new power to absorb an unlimited amount of demon energy with his Tetsusiaga. He knew very well that now all Inuyasha had to do was connect his blade with him to be finished. Fortunately for Naraku, that same power could spell the death toll for Mouryoumaru who was keeping his heart from him. Naraku now sought to use Inuyasha as means to recover his central core. If he was fortunate, the battle would mean the end of Inuyasha as well. There was something else he was curious about. The Tetsusiaga. Why had Sesshomaru been so interested in it and why didn't he pursue it now? The fool Inuyasha was half-youkai, but the sword itself was loaded with pure demon energy, also an absorbative power. With his central heart gone it was something which he the evil Naraku might be able to put to good use. Why search for a flawed heart when there was a regenerative core for the taking? He smiled.

Naraku's new spy flew in on his paper crane much as Kagura used to do on he feather. "I have news my lord," said the demon smiling as he bowed.

"Tell me," said Naraku creepily.

"Inuyasha has four female wolf demons traveling with him, along with an infant son born of Kagome."

"Fool," Naraku said. "He will pay for his vulnerability. Keep me informed.."

"Yes my lord," said the spy demon bowing again. He got up and flew away.

Naraku leaned against the window thoughtfully. Here was his chance. If he could not succeed in getting Mouryoumaru and Inuyasha to destroy each other, perhaps he could investigate this further. He spoke into the cobwebs as a storm rolled out above the rooftop. "What will it be Inuyasha?" said Naraku. "Your sword or your son?"


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters.

**Chapter 27: Confrontation**

Naraku leaned against the window thoughtfully. Here was his chance. If he could not succeed in getting Mouryoumaru and Inuyasha to destroy each other, perhaps he could investigate this further. He spoke into the cobwebs as a storm rolled out above the rooftop. "What will it be Inuyasha?" said Naraku. "Your sword or your son?"

Elsewhere, far away in the woods Kanna held up her creepy mirror. "Give me your soul and obey," she said to a large demon. It's eyes slid blank as a pale red light absorbed into the mirror and returned green.

"Rrr," rumbled the demon standing still as it reawakened. It joined a group of about thirty other large demons.

"Kohaku," said Kanna in her creepy manner. "You will leads the attack tonight."

"Yes," said Kohaku without expression once more the puppet boy. If he was conscious, he would have regretted being stolen from Kikyo by Kanna.

Back at the campsite, Kagome rolled over uncomfortably in her sleep. Sweat trickled down her face at a bad dream. She saw Kikyo's face looking at her.

"Kagome, wake up," the deceased miko said. "I was too weak but my battle isn't over yet. You must free Kohaku. I have given you my strength. You can do it. Take care of Aijo and Kohaku."

Kagome's eyes flew open. She sat up abruptly.

"Kagome what is it?" Inuyasha said.

"I feel a jewel shard," Kagome said out loud. "Kohaku's jewel shard. They're coming." She wasn't sure exactly what was coming but she knew it was.

Inuyasha stood up and the others at the camp woke, the wolf demons having to be prodded. They yawned and curled their tongues. "What?" said Rinzu rubbing her eyes. The wold demons were confused at the tense and alert state of everyone else.

"What's going on?" said Kan.

"We're under attack," said Inuyasha hand on the hilt of his sword. "The scent is in the air. You four stay together," he barked. "Kagome, stay by me."

"Right," said Kagome holding Aijo.

"Don't worry Kagome," said Sango. "Miroku and I will protect you."

"Thanks guys," she said cuddling Aijo closer. "You fight though," she said. "Remember, I can put up barriers now."

"All right," said Sango.

"Fine," said Inuyasha quickly. "Kagome, put a barrier around yourself. Kan, you and the others can fight."

"Fight?" Jun squeaked.

No better time to start than now," he said unsheathing his sword as the first of the demons approached. He ran forward charging and struck the blade through its back pinning it to the ground before slicing through. The remainder of some forty demons ran at him trying to tear him apart but Inuyasha ducked and swung taking them out one at a time. He bounded up onto a tree and flipped around in the air above them.

"Windscar!" he cried leaving a crater in the ground and about five demons less.

In the meantime, Sango and Miroku were making their own dent in the ranks. Effectively, they worked as a team and cut through one demon after another until few remained. They stopped at the edge of the carnage and were joined by Inuyasha.

"Kohaku," Sango uttered in anguish. Her imprisoned zombie brother was there, standing on the back of one of five remaining demons. Wordlessly, he unsheathed his chain-sickle.

"Kagome," said Kikyo once more speaking through vision. "Find Kanna. Use a sacred arrow on her mirror."

"All right," said Kagome. She broke her barrier and began running. "Inuyasha, we have to find Kanna," she said. "Kilala!"

The firecat ran up to Kagome and gave her a ride. "Kagome!" shouted Inuyasha as Shippo, Kagome, and Aijo went flying off on Kilala. He ran pell mell after them.

"Damn it!" he said.

Kanna had no demon presence. But as fate would have it, Kagome caught the glint of a mirror below. She gave Aijo to Shippo and fired an arrow at the far-away gleam. Her arrow streaked downwards but then began to drop lacking momentum.

"No. It's going to miss," said Kagome flying down after its path. Just then however, the wind blew up with an inexplicable gale. "Kagura?" Kagome breathed remembering the demoness who had died willing Kohaku to be free,

As if in answer, the wind caught hold of her arrow and renewed its speed and course. With a loud shattering crack, it hit Kanna's mirror turning the green to blue and red radiating light.

Kagome peeled away, returning to Inuyasha on the ground. "Kagome, what the hell were you thinking?" he scolded.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha," she said. "I had to do it."

"Let's return to the others," he said.

Back with Sango and Miroku, the five demons an Kohaku had all got their souls back. Sango rushed to her brother's aid and pulled him off the demon who began charging at everyone. The female wolves scattered and began leaping onto one of the huge demons. Kan punched it into the ground and finished it off with her claws. "Come on," she said running at another to claw it in the face. It ducked and knocked her down before she could leap back. The other girls came to her rescue chewing on its arms. The demon roared angrily.

"Get down," said Inuyasha running up. The female wolf demons scattered as he drew out his Tetsusiaga. He cut down through the demon's head causing it to disintegrate.

"Get up," he told Kan sternly on the now silent battlefield. Only it wasn't completely silent. Sango was weeping for joy at Kohaku's return. The boy was standing there awkwardly.

"I don't know," said Inuyasha. "That was too easy." Why would anyone send only forty demons after them? Was the arrow blown to the mirror or was it absorbed?

"They have recaptured Kohaku," said Kanna speaking creepily to her new master. "He has reawakened, but it does not matter. All will go according to plan." Her faint voice was like a breath of frost on pane.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Aijo, Shippo, Miroku, Sango, Kilala, Kohaku, Jun, Rinzu, Hisui, and Kan now made a mighty party of twelve, yes twelve as they trekked up to Kouga's mountains. Sango was as happy as anyone had ever seen her, yet constantly sad also. Kohaku was quiet. He didn't want to talk and seemed to avoid her. He was plagued by nightmares of what he had done and guilt. The wolf-demon girls were getting used to being in the great outdoors. They still wailed about getting baths and they put their makeup on in the morning. But under Miroku's supervision they were getting stronger. They were quickly becoming adept at hunting as well. It seemed their coordination and skill as entertainers went far in aiding their stealth capabilities so they encountered good success when stalking prey.

Inuyasha for his part ignored them. As he commanded them, they dropped all reference to him as master although they slipped in "Lord Inuyasha" from time to time. He also forbade them to call themselves consorts, saying it was up to them to choose as different future because he wasn't going to let anyone force them on him. Still, he admired Kan in a way because she seemed made of stronger stuff. They had no interest in each other, only a growing mutual respect. She made his life a lot easier by keeping the other wolves in line.

So at last they approached Kouga's mountains. The scent of wolves was everywhere on the slopes and they climbed up to the falls where the wolf den was hidden.

Outside on watch, they were surprised to see white wolves as well as grey ones. "Ayami must be here," said Kagome. Hakkaku and Ginta were hanging around too. They were shocked to see her.

"Hey Sis," said Hakkaku after falling into the water. "What brings you here?"

"Is Kouga back here?" she said.

"Yeah," said Ginta. "We were roaming around for a long time in search of Naraku. After a while, Kouga decided we had better check on our brethren. Then Ayami showed up with news from the North."

"What news?" said Kagome kneeling down by the soggy wolf.

"The wars up in the North," said Hakkaku. He sniffed the air. "Say, Kagome, is that what I think it is?" Hakkaku and Ginta looked at each other.

"Kouga isn't going to like this," Ginta said.

"Think there will be a fight?"

"Uh huh," said the other. They turned their heads from Aijo to the pretty wolf girls.

"Who cares," said the other. "Kagome, who are they?"

"Oh," said Kagome gesturing with her hand. "These are Rinzu, Hisui, Jun, and Kan. They are from the tribe of the Night Wolves."

"Night Wolves," said Ginta frowning. "Never heard of them."

"Me neither," said Hakkaku.

A sudden whirlwind came down and Kouga stood before them. He took one sniff and breathed angrily. "You!" he said ready to tear Inuyasha into little pieces.

**Author Notes:** Finally, after an eternity it seems we actually get to Kouga. Hooray! But there are many mysteries to be solved. What will Naraku do? What will Mouryoumaru do? What was the old Shiori muttering about in the present? What will the passage of time mean to our adventurers? Tsk, tsk too bad. I'm not going to tell you now. Later! PSS. Thanks again for the reviews!


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 28: The Way It Is with Wolves**

"Yeah me," said Inuyasha pulling out his sword.

"You filthy mutt," Kouga raged. "Stealing my Kagome on me! I told you not to touch her dog-breath!"

"Who ever said anything about her being yours?" Inuyasha said snidely. "Listen up wolf-breath, she was always mine, you were just too delusional to realize it."

"Shut up!" shouted back Kouga. He threw down his fist causing the ground around Inuyasha to decompose into rubble. "I'm gonna tear ya limb from limb!" Kouga snarled.

Kagome watched in dismay as a very serious ensued. She dared not try to break it with a sit command because Kouga was certainly out for blood this time. Inuyasha and he knocked each other around. The battle began to get very serious indeed when Kouga used the magical steel claws he got at the grave of the elders against Inuyasha's blade. They clashed together deafeningly.

"Ooh," squealed Jun dancing on her toes with apprehension. "This is scary. I hope he doesn't hurt him."

"Me too," said Kagome biting her lip. "Kouga, please stop!" she shouted to no avail.

"Don't worry," said Kan. "Come on girls. Let's all tackle him."

"But that's dangerous," squeaked Jun.

"Would you rather that our master get killed?"

"N...n...no," stuttered Jun. Her eyes hardened. "Let's do it," she said.

About five seconds later Kouga found himself tackled from behind by four female wolf demons.

"Cut it out you big bully!" was what he heard as eight hands slapped him on the head.

"Cut it out!" he raged pulling out from underneath them. Inuyasha had stopped and found himself aghast. Kouga turned around and was shocked by what he saw. Kan was standing defiantly in front of a formation of three. All the wolf demonesses had red flashing eyes and a menacing rumble came from their throats.

Kan approached Kouga, domination in her every line. "Do not dare hurt our master." She walked around Kouga and placed her hands on Inuyasha's shoulders shielding him from view. Inuyasha just stood there with his mouth open in a horrified expression.

"Yeah," replied Rinzu and Hisui. They walked past Kouga also and hung around his back clinging onto his arms.

"Master, master," said Rinzu rubbing a cheek against him.

"My lord," said Hisui doing the same.

"Wait for me!" shouted Jun running over to them. She ducked between Kan's arms and shoved herself up against Inuyasha. She threw herself onto him clenching his robes. "My lord," she cried. "No one is happier to serve you than I." She broke into a giggle.

"Gah," said Inuyasha looking quite pale. "Get off of me! I told you, don't call me that!" The girls didn't go anywhere.

Kagome was getting flustered. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and aimed it at them warningly. "He's mine!" she shouted. "Now let go of him or I'll vaporize you!" She wasn't really planning to do it but the girls wisely slid away. Kagome walked up to Inuyasha and glared at him in the eye.

"Whose are you?" she asked sternly.

"Yours?" Inuyasha said in a small voice.

"Don't you forget it," she said in a tone threatening a sit command and she followed through on it. "Sit, sit, sit!" she cried.

Within moments, Inuyasha moaned in pain from a large hole.

"Hey now, that's cruel," said Jun. "Can't you share?"

"Inuyasha told you he wasn't interested in keeping you," Kagome said mildly.

"That's not fair!" moaned Jun. "We were promised to him long before you came along! We were raised specifically for that purpose, to serve our lord and master Inuyasha." She giggled.

"Gah," thought Inuyasha. Jun was starting to haunt him. Thankfully, the other girls looked distant.

"STOP!" bellowed Kouga halting things. "What is this craziness?" Everyone looked at him. Kan gave reply.

"Why, we are wolves form the Night Tribe of course," said Kan smoothly and with great elegance. "Rinzu, Hisui, Jun and myself are the assigned consorts to Inuyasha, the son of our late demon lord. His family has protected our people for many generations and we are grateful." She dipped her head in a quick bow. "To serve and please him is our sole duty in life." Kouga felt like throwing up. So did Inuyasha.

"Stop it!" said Inuyasha, it now his turn to shout. "I refuse to take you just because some bastard tells me to!"

"Then take us because we're available," said Jun coyly. "Out of five hundred wolves in the palace, I was the cutest one."

"Gah, it's a frikin nightmare," stuttered Inuyasha. He took a step back from his stalker.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps you should tell Kouga why we're here."

"Bah," said Inuyasha but in agreement. His expression dropped from anger to one of absolute pleading.

"Kouga, take these women off my hands. Not Kagome," he said warningly, "but take these four wolf demons. My bastard brother assigned them to me since he couldn't get anything better. You can do anything you want with them."

"Hey!" shouted Rinzu and Hisui in unison.

Kagome felt the need to explain things. "You see Kouga," she broke in. "Inuyasha and I are married...er mated now. I'm sorry Kouga. It was just never meant to be."

"Kagome," said Kouga with deep hurt.

"The point," said Kagome continuing, "is that these four wolf demons need a home since I will not allow Inuyasha to keep them. They are great people really, only they need a little training as to how to survive in the wild. They're used to living indoors."

"My lady," said Kan interrupting. "May I speak?"

"Er, yes," said Kagome.

"Thank You madame," said Kan bowing. She faced Kouga.

"My, er, lord," she said eying his shabby and scant garments. "My fellow wolves and I hail from the Night Wolf demon tribe of the Palace of the late Great Lord of the West. Inuyasha's father was a great lord, revered among wolves and other demons alike. My people have served him and his ancestors loyally for millennia. When a hanyou was born to our Great Lord, my people gave a gift of four females to Inuyasha to be given to him at his ceremony of maturation. However, recently Inuyasha has publicly denied our rights as consorts. He refuses to accept us or the arrangement made. Instead, he seeks to find another tribe to give us to in order to absolve his duties." Kan bowed neatly. "Please milord, allow us to join your people."

Kouga snapped his jaws shut. "Well, if it means getting wolf-demons away from mutt-face, I guess you can join our tribe. It's not like I could stand seeing the filth trot around with more females than he deserves. Speaking of which," said Kouga cracking his knuckles. "That dog-shit has to die."

"Bah," said Inuyasha. "Give it up wolf-boy. She's mine already."

"Sorry to break it to you mutt," said Kouga getting into battle position, "but I'm going to kill you and take back my woman. So much for the competition."

"Just try it!" said Inuyasha daring him.

Kagome sighed. Just as Kouga started moving on his feet, she let her barrier appear. Kouga slammed against it a few seconds later. "Why do they always have to be so hard-headed?" Kagome asked herself.

"What the hell is this?" Kouga shouted angrily. He brushed himself off and stood like a wall himself in front of it. Inside, he could see Kagome but it seemed as if flames wrapped around her lifting her hair up with its breeze. She walked towards him but without breaking the barrier which held Inuyasha Aijo, and herself inside. The spiritual globe around her streamed with pulses of energy which calmed as she approached the boundary.

"Kouga," said Kagome sternly. "Inuyasha is the father of my son. I will not let you hurt him. I want you to try to forget about me Kouga. I am a mortal anyway. Ayame's right, you're better off finding a nice wolf demon. I'm sorry Kouga. I'll always be your friend."

Kouga looked at the wall of swirling energy. "Dogs!" he thought. He knew Kagome could shoot strange arrows but he had no idea she could do anything like this. She was strong and a little scary. Kouga didn't really know much about mikos or other human things. He tried to calm down, his curiosity helping him do so.

"So what is all this weird energy?" he asked gesturing a hand towards the eerie currents before him. Kagome broke the barrier and smiled at the heart-broken fella.

"Oh," she said glad he had changed topic. "I am a miko, so I have spiritual powers unlike most other humans." She held out a hand and showed him a trick she had learned since Kikyo had died.

"See," continued Kagome. Around her feet and in a path leading up to her, she caused dozens of flowers to grow. "My spiritual powers draw on or affect the natural life force around me. I"m not sure I understand it all yet, but I'm getting much better at it. I'm surprised I was able to have Aijo, because my powers of purification are kind of anti-youkai. That's what makes my arrows so effective. Usually."

"Yeah," said Inuyasha dryly. "That's what makes her so scary. Believe me you don't want her. She'd have you on a choke-chain in a minute."

Kagome just smiled and Kouga shivered. Maybe dog-face was right after all. The aura Kagome had given out had reacted with his instincts, telling him there was enormous danger. He was one who knew when to run.

He was standing there thinking moodily when he felt a hand on his arm. It was Ayame. "Kouga," she said. "What are you going to do?"

Kouga jerked his arm from out of her grasp. "About what?" he said tensely.

"Those wolf demons," Ayame snapped.

"Bah!" shouted Kouga. "You take them. I don't need that dog-face's rejects in my tribe."

"Fine!" snapped back Ayame her hands on her hips. She stood defiantly in front of Kouga. "The rejects can go with the rejected, is that it Kouga? Well take a look around you then, because you have no women. So much for your tribe."

Kouga snapped his mouth shut. Ayame had showed up out of the blue to remind him of his promise to marry her. She also came with the troubling rumor that the half-demon called Inuyasha had taken a human mate for himself. Still, since it was Ayame who told him, Kouga chalkedit down as an attempt to get him to marry her. He told her as much. They had a bitter argument afterwards but Ayame had remained at the den in order to complete the duties assigned to her by the tribe elders. She was collecting things, scouting territory, and delivering other messages.

Lately. Ayame was miserable. Her father, the chief, was dying and she knew it. Soon she would be the leader of the wolf tribe and she had no mate to help her with this task. She had also been so in love with Kouga and still was, yet he insisted that his affections were for a mortal. Ayame sighed. Her people was dwindling. Between Naraku and all the wars, fewer and fewer wolves were to be found. Kouga's arrogance was not helping. How could they replace the ones lost if there were no pups? She was one among only a handful of women left. Ayame stroked the soft silky head of one of her pure white wolves. She looked up with her beautiful eyes at the four wolf demons huddled behind Inuyasha. They were small, demure and not at all wild-looking. They each had a set of tiny ears on top of their head signifying an all together different line. She sensed too the taint of inu-youkai blood, as if they all shared a common ancestor. Still, they were almost completely wolf demon, and as such they were sisters. Ayame smiled at them.

"Come," she commanded holding out a hand. She placed it delicately above her heart. "I am the daughter of the Chieftain of the Wolves. As such I welcome you to my pack."

Kan nodded speaking for them. "I am Kan. I hail from the Night Wolf Demon Tribe of the Palace of the Inu-youkai Ruler."

"An entire tribe of wolf demons?" Ayame asked with interest. Kan nodded. "How many are there?" Ayame asked.

"Not including those who may have been birthed in our absence," she said, "there are one thousand seven hundred and fifty-eight."

Ayame drew in her breath. Kouga looked around. "So many?" she asked.

"Yes," said Kan perfectly poised. "We have flourished under the care and rulership of out inu-youkai lords. We suffer no wont for food or water, our shelter is perpetual, and our culture is rich and deep. We owe much to our masters, who see to our needs. Our Lord Inuyasha, as representative to my people, I pledge to you my unwavering loyalty." It sounded rehearsed and Kan made elegant sweeps with her fan as she said it, ending up bowing.

"Kan," said Inuyasha unmoving and with his arms crossed. "How many times do I have to tell you to drop the honorifics? I am only a half-demon after all. There's no way in hell I'll inherent the rulership."

Kan stood up and pushed back the hair from her face. She snapped her fan shut. "Yes," she said thoughtfully. "Yet I feel you would make a good ruler indeed. You do not put us beneath you as your brother does Inuyasha. For this, I am personally grateful."

"Bah!" said Inuyasha brusquely. "You can thank me by taking off on me. There are plenty of men around here. You're good-looking. I'm sure you can snare one of them."

"Thank you Inuyasha for setting me free," said Kan. Rinzu and Hisui looked in agreement but Jun was like, "No!"

"Bah," Inuyasha scoffed, his arms still crossed in front of him, his head turned away. "I'm not into slavery you know. It's your life. Do the hell what you like with it."

"Yes," said Kan smiling. "I shall take my example from you."

Inuyasha wasn't quite sure what she meant by that but we all do. Ayame smiled. Things were going great for the first time that week. Kouga had backed down form Kagome (at least for now), Inuyasha wasn't that bad of a guy, and she had new wolves for her pack. She clapped her hands.

"All right wolves," Ayame said her extraordinary beauty standing out. "Kan, Rinzu, Hisui, and Jun," she said assigning them a hierarchal status. "Come with me. We'll set up a camp tonight." There were no birds-of-paradise anymore so there was no need to hide in the den. She could get away from the infuriating Kouga for a while.

"Very well," said Kan. "I assume Inuyasha and the others are allowed to come?"

"Of course," said Ayame. So she and her white wolves settled down in a spring-fed canyon along with Inuyasha's party. It was beautiful there, lush and pristine. No bones lying about. No male slovenliness. Ayame rested in content and looked over across their firelight camp as the weight of the night pressed down. The hum and clatter of an active campsite sounded around her soothing and encouraging with its life. No leaky cavern. No roaring falls. Even better, there were girls to talk to, girls who were laughing. The wolves of the Night Tribe began to dance gracefully like bending willow, aglitter with their beauty and elegant robes. After dinner and in preparation for their separation, Kan had insisted that they all perform for Inuyasha's group. Ayame sat among the others, thoughtfully chewing on potato chips as the other wolf youkai swirled as slowly as falling petals or those awash on a wave. Her new friends moved with a silkiness and dedication to rhythm, lulling them all to sleep until Kagome yawned and buried her head in Inuyasha's shoulder. He looked down at her and placed a hand on the nape of her neck calling the night to an end. Ayame snuggled back against her wolves. There was a feeling of friendship here and belonging. She opened her eyes temporarily as she heard Jun crying in the distance. She could hear Kan speaking soothingly to her outside the camp. Ayame closed her eyes once more. She smiled and fell asleep.


	29. Chapter 29

This one's for all you Kouga fangirls out there. Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 29: Kouga's Moment**

Irritated, Kouga paced wide awake in the early morning dawn. His letting the female wolf demons leave had been an unpopular move amongst the many lonely, love-struck wolves of his tribe. Those bachelors had been fortunate enough to witness their ravishing beauty made sure to fill in the details for those who had not, telling them long extended tales of youkai princesses from some far-off, high-up court where beautiful women were pulled in carriages by horses with wings. There had been many a discontented sigh amongst his men last evening.

Kouga was displeased by it all. Sure, it was a dumb move to let the demonesses leave, he told himself but he was still pissed off at the dog-boy. "That mutt," seethed Kouga. "How dare he take Kagome on me!" Yet, even he had to concede that Kagome was settled and uninterested in him now. She smelled robustly of motherhood and a strong marking. The bond was deep and he didn't know if he was capable of loving anyone like that so much that their smell took precedence over his own. The emotions behind the mark affected its smell.

Kouga stomped off to the lookout outside the entrance of his cave. Normally, he avoided baths but today he decided to make an exception. He sped off in his trademark whirlwind until he came to a hot spring. "Get out of here!" he yelled at several monkeys scaring them away. Then he pulled off his fur shorts and settled back in the water to soak. He held his hands on the back of his head and simply considered things.

Kagome was irretrievable. As much as he hated to admit it, dog-boy had won. It looked like he was going to get stuck with Ayame after all. Not that she was so bad. In fact, she was the next best choice for him next to Kagome. He had managed to tick her off though. Kouga could just imagine her vivid eyes boring into him right now.

Things weren't going so well concerning Naraku either. Kouga hadn't been able to find his enemy despite searching everywhere for months. Finally, he had returned home to his tribe since as leader her couldn't abandon them forever. He still hoped to catch wind of some clue.

Kouga lifted up an arm from the water to scratch his nose, letting the water trickle off his well-toned muscles. His well-built chest was something to ga-ga over and well worth peeking out from the bushes for, if one is so inclined. Without his headband, he looked even cooler, like a rock-star or something with his wavy black bangs and movie star grin.

Maybe it was time for a change, Kouga thought. Perhaps he should let the female wolf demons in to his tribe of bachelors. Moreover, it was time for Kouga to get some new clothes. His old ones were worn and made him look like the wild-wolf he was but without any flair. Inspired by Ayame's chic clothes, the other female wolf demon's courtly garb, Sesshomaru's sheek, and also Inuyasha's man'atude with an abundant and vivid red kimono, he decided he was due for a fashion change. He needed something for more than practical use. It had to say to others, "I am Kouga. Deal with it." So he went shopping the only way he knew how, by stealing from a human settlement. He kept true to his word however and prevented his wolves from eating anyone.

"Woah. Kouga," said Ginta.

"Yeah," said Hakkaku.

"That's a new look," said Ginta.

"It sure is," said Hakkaku.

"Of course it is dummies," said Kouga. He looked at his reflection in the surface of a quiet pool. "Not bad," he thought.

Not bad indeed. In a word, Kouga was hot. He had abandoned the exposed legs in favor of an armor look. He wore thick black trousers with protective fur leggings over that. He still had a bare chest, but he accessorized with some shiny, light-weight demon collar he just happened to have. It flew down his front much as Sesshomaru's bone armor did, but it was a combination of silver, white, and black to match his new pants. He spiked up his bangs by choosing a headband with a little more splash with its arresting color. It really brought out his eyes. Finally, he retained fur wrist bands and added a belt of fur out of nostalgia. Sadly, he decided the tail would not go with his new look, so he folded his shorts aside. But then he got a sudden inspiration and altered the garment so that the front was completely open showing his black pants. As saddle of fur hung around his buttocks, also the tail and he shoved his hip forward appreciatively strutting it. "Not bad," he murmured. As I have said, not bad at all.

Ayame's jaw dropped when he strutted into camp. She had been mad at him but she could not help herself. Her eyes moved unconsciously from the base of his feet to rest about his waist. So hot indeed.

"Hey Ayame," said Kouga smirking. She wrenched her gaze away to look at his buff chest and movie star smile. Involuntarily, she could feel herself drool.

"Hello Kouga," she said after a lapse. Inuyasha pushed himself through the crowd of consorts and nearly tottered on his feet.

"Well wolf boy, it's an improvement," he said. "I've been thinking all along you could use something to hide your ugliness."

Kouga turned enraged eyes towards the hanyou but he decided to play it cool and not ruin the moment. "Hey Ayami," he said smoothly pulling and arm around her shoulders to hold her next to him. "What do you say you return to my cave for a while? There's no need for you all to be ruffing it out here."

"Yes, no need indeed," thought Ayami dreamily. Then she pulled herself together and threw off his hand. She rounded on him with her hands on her hips.

"I know what this is all about Kouga," she accused. "Now that Kagome's gone I'm good enough, is that it?"

"What's wrong with that?" Kouga practically purred.

"What's wrong indeed," thought Ayami again dreamily. She shook her head.

"You're telling me, that after all this, you're finally going to listen to the elders and keep the promise you made to me..."

"To marry you, yes," said Kouga alluringly. "That is if you'll have me." He feigned scratching his nose and looked away at the sky. Ayame's face colored up with blush. She marched straight up to him and waited until he looked back down innocently.

"All right then," she said sniffily, fluffing up her ponytail. "I'll make the arrangements."

"Of course sweetheart," Kouga purred quite pleased with himself.

"What did I tell you?" said Inuyasha to Kagome. "He's some player."

For once, Kagome nodded. "Though I might have married him instead of you if he was wearing THAT at the time."

"What!" sputtered Inuyasha. Both men stopped in their tracks.

Kagome and Inuyasha argued for the next fifteen minutes about, "that gaudy red kimono," and "nobody wears things like that in modern times," and "this ain't your time." Fortunately, they breaked for breakfast. It was still early in the morning.

So Kouga got what he wanted, Ayami and the return of the female wolf demons to his cave. He immediately threw some of his wolf demons from the best spots in the cave though they didn't mind really. Not when the spots were being assigned to such beauties. Then women scowled at the mess and soon Ayami, Kan, Rinzu, Hisui, and Jun were enslaving all the men demons making them haul in and out buckets of water and broken bones. They scoured the entire cave, threw out the old hay and brought in some new, and even did something with the ceiling. For an extra touch, Kagome gave Ayami a bottle of her safe, normal, run-off-the-mill perfume and they sprayed it lightly in the cave. If it could have, the place would have sparkled. Then demons from court were not content with that however. They were used to luxury and made plans about how to redecorate and set up hot baths for themselves.

Kagome watched them gossiping from a distance, tickling Aijo. The wolf demons seemed happy and she was very pleased. She looked over at Inuyasha who was seated by her side and smiled. They had their own little group and now, they had theirs. Inuyasha had helped make it happen and feeling very glad for them, she slipped her hand into Inuyasha's. He squeezed it a little harder than usual and she tickled the base of his ears.

"Maybe later," she murmured for only his ears to hear.

After remaining a few days, Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others said their goodbyes. Kan thanked Inuyasha regally deeming the half-demon her equal and just as importantly, herself. "My loyalty will not waiver," she said with unfeigned sincerity. "You will always be... my friend."

Inuyasha didn't say anything. He just looked over and grinned at Rinzu and Hisui who each had a wolf demon draping an arm around them. "Seems they settled in well," he said.

"Yes," she said smiling. "Don't worry. I will continue to look after them, as long as I am able." Inuyasha sensed dedication in that voice.

Jun, however, was the greatest shock of all. Though she had flung herself all over Inuyasha and sobbed outside camp about him dumping her, she was standing there with not three, not four, but FIVE male wolf demons. She was batting her eyes and giggling happily turning on all her feminine grace while the boys contended for her attention.

"Bye 'Yasha," she said playfully causing the wolf demons to scowl in jealousy and renew their attempts to woe her. Inuyasha shuttered. He was so grateful to be safe from her.

"Thank you Inuyasha," said Ayame for no particular reason. She glared at Kouga as if looking for some reason to scold him, but he remained silent so she smiled instead. "Good luck on your hunt," she said with best wishes, "and may your pack grow ever stronger." So they set out once more down the dusty road. Inuyasha, Kagome, Aijo, Shippo, Kilala, Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku went forward to find the trials that lay ahead.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Also, don't be scandalized. Hamtaro is one of my favorite shows. It's so cute. Still, one idea I couldn't get out of my mind: evil hamsters. Don't own them either. I keep birds.

**Chapter 30: **

**An Adventure for Shippo- ****The HamtaroXInuyasha Crossover**

Shippo was wandering the fields one day, licking a lolipop, when suddenly, something popped out of the grass. It was a little rodent youkai. "Ah ha!" it shouted running up past him to his friend Kagome. With a flying leap, it jumped up onto her arm and tried to climb down her shirt.

"Ee!" she cried shaking it off.

"Why you!" said Inuyasha who had been watching without particular interest until it tried to crawl down her shirt. Then he decided to stomp it.

"Missed me!" said the rodent dodging Inuyasha's fist with incredible speed. He ran off without another word and disappeared into the grass with a rustle.

"That was weird," said Kagome out loud.

"Why is that?" murmured Inuyasha.

"No, not that way," said Kagome shaking her head. "It's just that it was a hamster."

"A hamster?" said Inuyasha frowning.

"Yes," Kagome explained. "In my time, people keep them as pets. Only, I don't know what they would be doing back here in this time. They're not indigenous."

"Pets?" asked Inuyasha not sure what indigenous meant.

The hamster ambush was over, Shippo and his friends kept walking. They stopped by a stream and had a cool drink of water. Then they continued across a peaceful, sunny glade. The sun shone down like it was smiling. But suddenly, the earth underfoot began to sink.

"Kagome," shouted Inuyasha as he picked her up. Sango and Miroku prepared to flee also but before they could move there was the sound of a giant spring uncoiling. Inuyasha and the others found themselves trapped inside a metal cage sunk halfway into a deep hole.

"What the Hell," said Inuyasha looking around him.

Kagome gaped. At the top of the cage was a police siren flashing its lights. She looked up at the edge of the bank where hundreds of hamsters were assembling. They looked down at the group with beady eyes. A large hamster with white and brown markings, as well as a cape and scepter, pushed in front of the ground.

"Well well," said the apparent ruler. "Good job Ham-Taro."

"Thank you leader," squeaked the hamster that had previously attacked Kagome. "As I have said before, the woman carries jewel shards."

"Good job," repeated Leader waving his paw as part of his speech. "You have done well, my little minion. Hamsters hear me. Tonight is the night we leave this plain to return to our home on the other side of the portal." Hundreds of hamsters all murmured and cheered.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Enough," he said out of patience. "Let us out of this cage or I'll bust out and drag my claws through your face."

"Hamsters, the powder," commanded their leader. Dozens of hamsters poured a thick, black powder from tiny baskets into the hole.

"What is that?" said Kagome coughing and trying to cover her mouth. The air in the hole became saturated with the powder and she fell unconscious. Everyone else including Inuyasha lapsed into the same black emptiness.

"Hamsters, take them back to our headquarters," said the leader. Carts with wooden wheels and boars with hamsters riding on them appeared to drag Inuyasha's group away.

Out in the tall grass, a rock suddenly opened its eyes. When the hamsters were gone, it popped into a kitsune called Shippo. He had slipped the bars due to his small size. "I'll show you what happens when you mess with my friends and family," he said taking out his ninja fox stars.

Back at headquarters, Kagome woke up groggily. She looked above her and found herself on her back strapped to a medic's board. There were hamsters all over her, reminding her of a scene from Gullivar's travels. Inuyasha was hung upside down by a chain from his feet, a hamster in a dress throwing powder at him regularly. Kilala was stuck inside a glass bottle. The rest of the humans were all slumped against the wall still. Unhappily, Kagome noticed an uncomfortable warmth behind her. She tilted her head back and saw a huge oven fire.

"What's going on here?" said Kagome angrily. "Hamsters don't eat humans!"

"No," said one of the hamsters slapping her. "But Ikinokuro does foolish mortal. The Great Serpent has given us immortality and his protection in exchange for bringing him humans to eat. He has guided us well ever since that unfortunate ambulance accident involving the stone which is now in the leader's scepter."

"You mean the jewel shard?" said Kagome. "You wished not to crash didn't you?"

"Sort of," said the not-too-bright hamster.

"All right then," said Kagome struggling to get up.

"Not so fast silly human," said the demon hamster calling the others to action. "Hamsters, subdue her with powder and throw her in the fire!" Now that the hamster was up close, Kagome was sure she could see fangs poking out and a snake-like tongue.

"Kagome!" cried a voice and without warning four fox-stars impacted with the medic board, cutting the straps. The stars lifted themselves up by fox-magic and returned to their owner's hand. Kagome jumped up and caught Shippo as he leapt down form the ceiling. After a brief hug, he jumped down to stand bracingly in front of her.

"Kagome, help the others," Shippo commanded.

"Right," said Kagome to her little man. She poured water from a flower vase all over Sango and Miroku waking them up. She did the same for Kohaku as they pried Inuyasha down and pummeled the snow-white hamster who had been sprinkling him with dust. They also rescued Kilala.

A dozen hamsters tried to run screaming from the room. Shippo however jumped in the way. "Going somewhere," he sad like Inuyasha might. The hamsters squealed and dodged his ninja stars that chased them all around without hitting them.

However, as they left the room dragging Inuyasha there were dozens of shouts of "intruders!" The hall they entered was not at all bright like the last one they had been in. Instead, it had the appearance of a serpentine chamber. Inuyasha woke up fully at last.

"Another snake sprite," he said sniffing the air. It was the same type of creature which they had fought at the Lake of the Water God.

Something uncoiled and slithered in the unlit stone hall. Miroku held out his staff. "Hold on," said Shippo jumping forward. "Let me." He held out a hand of blue flames and bounded out into the center of the room. He listened carefully all around.

"Shippo," fretted Kagome. But then there was a rumbling sound as the snake demon launched itself. Shippo dodged.

"He can handle it," said Inuyasha laying a hand on Kagome's arm. The next second, three ninja stars flashed through the air and sank into the demon with a spiral of fire. It fell back into a mountain of ash.

Hamsters all around them blinked and ran away. "Oh no," said Inuyasha snatching up one of them. It was the leader with his staff in hand. "I'll take that," said Inuyasha taking the obvious jewel shard. They also took back Kagome's glass bottle with three jewel shards.

"Forgive me," squeaked the leader in plain hamster. "We did not know what we were doing, we were under an enchantment see?" He pulled back his lip and the fangs were gone. Inuyasha dropped him with a clunk.

So they left behind the curious hamsters and their little society. At the edge of the field, Shippo caught sight of one of them watching. He fell behind as Inuyasha and the others walked forward. When no one was watching, he grabbed the hamster out of a bush. It squealed and tried to get away.

"Oh no, not you," said Shippo without venom. "You forget you jumped down my Mommy's shirt. He left the clearing licking his lollipop with an air of innocence. Behind him, a starry-eyed hamster was sprawled out on the ground.


	31. Chapter 31

**_Chapter 31: Remembrance of an Honorable Ruler_**

Murasaki yawned. The wind was blowing spritely today, sending all the prayer boards rattling. The breeze amused her, and she let out her long golden hair intertwined with strips of cloth. She rustled her pointed ears, the influence of her lynx heritage. Few were visiting the grave today, except for a few graffitiers she had chased halfway to hell. They just couldn't deal with not having been able to oppose the old leader in life, so they sought to grieve him in death. That was her job though, to beat such people into a pulp. She liked doing it too. Unexpectedly, she caught the sound of the crunch on gravel and the smell of sunflowers. She looked up and saw Arashiyama standing there, her old flame.

"Hi Arashiyama," she said looking at her nails. "Come to beg me to take you back?"

"No,"said Arashiyama smiling jovially, "although I wouldn't mind. I'm actually here about your work."

"My work," said Murasaki frowning. "You never cared about it before."

"Now now," said the gull demon. "Perhaps those are too harsh of words. I never said I was disinterested."

"You didn't give a damn either," said the security guard.

"Perhaps I should tell you why I am here," said Arashiyama softly. "My dear friend," he said avoiding her harshness. "How old is this tomb?"

"Three years why?" said Murasaki.

"And is there a locket still hanging on the tomb?"

"Before the graves, yeah sealed by magic. You can see it yourself. Don't get any funny ideas though you trickster."

"As if anyone, even myself am capable of breaking such artful magic," he said humbly but pleased by her reference to his abilities. The kitsune Shippo had sealed it there himself, so it was quite beyond his ability to remove.

Arashiyama walked up the white gravel path to a vast tomb. White stone roofed the grave in which the late ruler and his wife lay. Oddly, they had died on the same day within minutes of each other. Because of this, it was rumored that it had been poison which had ended their lives. No proof of such allegation had been found however. It was no loss really. The couple were getting on in years, almost as wizened as old Shiori the bat-hanyou. Sesshomaru was still there, ruling all with a strong hand. Since he was full demon, no visibility of weakness had yet entered into his form. He was no more than middle-aged.

Arashiyama stopped in the center of the tomb. At its top, about eye-level there was a glint of gold swaying. He held out his hand and spoke.

"Chain of gold please stop." He did know a spell or too. Murasaki appeared over shoulder and hit him on the head. She grabbed in her hand.

"Just hold it," she said. "It's user friendly. Just flick it open. But only touch it if you have pure intentions. Otherwise, it will blow you halfway to the river. The old man still lives, or some of his youkai does anyway." She eased back the lid to a heart-shaped locket.

"See," said Murasaki holding up the open locket for him to see. "Pictures of the old ruler and his wife. He wore it around his neck till the day he died."

Arashiyama sucked in a breath. Inside were two hot-tempered figures shouting at one another. He recognized them instantly. "They look just like," he breathed.

Murasaki looked at his stunned face. She didn't quite know what to make of it. "Well, you let me know when you're done," she said patting him on the shoulder. "If you're good maybe I'll let you take me out to dinner."

Arashiyama nodded feebly recovering part of himself. But inside he was very confused. Could it really be? Those two he had met had somehow been Inuyasha and Kagome who had so recently passed away? If there was a breach in time they had slipped through, they had kept it a secret.

Leaping out of the well, Inuyasha and Kagome both sneezed. They looked around and shrugged. Then they entered the house where Mom was cooking fish.

"Not fish," Kagome groaned. "I finally get back to where there's real food and it's fish." She was also sick of ramen noodle. Inuyasha wasn't though and neither was Aijo whom had started to eat solid food on a regular basis. Kagome frowned. Her child was developing fast. Too fast. How long would he live? What if he... no she didn't want to think of that.

"Hello Mom," said Kagome going through the usual routine. They talked about how she was and how Aijo was and how the mission was going. Then Kagome veered into how annoying Inuyasha had been smacking villagers who were undoubtably rude and deserved it but well, that was neither here nor there.

"How come they never talk about how I'm doing?" said Inuyasha irritably. "Or about how annoying SHE is bossing me around and sitting me into the ground for Aijo's amusement?" When all else failed, Kagome had taken to sitting him to make Aijo stop crying.

So they all sat down to a peaceful dinner accompanied by a child's wailing of course. Aijo screamed until he was let down and then he crawled under the table chewing chair legs or nipping Daddy's feet. "Yow!' said Inuyasha pulling the kid up to spoon feed him. Aijo reached out and put his hands in the salad.

"Kagome, do something with this kid!" he cried handing him off. Kagome took Aijo and jostled him up and down walking into the living room.

After a bit, everyone retired to the living room where they read, napped, played cards, or did homework. It was all very peaceful until Kagome looked up suddenly. "Inuyasha," she said tensely. Inuyasha felt it too.

They rushed out into the courtyard as a demon approached. Luckily, it was just Arashiyama. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief while Inuyasha didn't look surprised at all.

"Arashiyama," said Kagome happily. Arashiyama didn't say a word for a moment but looked at them rather curiously. Then he cleared his throat. "Ah-hem," he said peaceably. "I just came over to ask you whether or not you had been to the tomb of the old ruler yet."

"No," said Kagome. "Why should we?"

Arashiyama shrugged. "If you've never heard of it, it was a big deal a few years back. It took over twenty demon craftsmen to build since it is encrusted with enchantments. A simple enough place though. Big grounds. Nice place to visit on a sunny day."

"Maybe tomorrow," ventured Kagome. "It's late now. Where is it?"

"On the side of a mountain," he said shrugging. "It's not too far. Fifteen minutes if you fly, thirty if you run."

"Let's go then," said Inuyasha moving to stand in front of Kagome. "Thirty minutes? It isn't dark yet. I'll make it in eighteen."

"Inuyasha," said Kagome.

"Might as well get it over with," he shrugged. "I want to get back to the past as soon as possible."

Arashiyama's eye tweaked. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. So it was true. He cleared his throat.

"Follow me then," he said. He rose up into the air and so slight they couldn't notice, he gave a little bow.

Arashiyama waited around while they packed, talked to others inside the house, and got ready to go. Then they all set off. Inuyasha was true to his word, almost. He made it in nineteen minutes.

"Yeah, well if you weren't so heavy," Inuyasha complained.

"Are you calling me fat?" said Kagome incensed. She goaded him with her loafers and he twinged painfully. Must have been the spiritual power.

Kagome slid down from Inuyasha back and they looked around at the stretch of grass they had come to. They walked up to Murasaki who spit out her cola.

"Which way to the tomb?" Kagome said. Murasaki held out a finger and they passed by giving her curious glances. Arashiyama smirked.

Inuyasha and Kagome stopped before the white sun-washed tombs. Inuyasha sniffed warily and his nose curled at what he found. He eyed the stones like a spooked horse.

Kagome walked around not knowing anything. She had a look of curiosity on her face, a finger up to her chin as she paced around.

"Kagome, don't step there," said Inuyasha freaking out as she walked on his subterranean grave.

"Step where?" said Kagome. She walked forward as she spied the locket.

"Inuyasha," she said clutching it in her hand. This looks like yours." She snapped it open. "Wait a minute. It is yours. How did it get here?"

"It's not mine," said Inuyasha fumbling at his chest. He pulled out a gleaming heart-shaped locket. "I've never taken it off."

"Yes," said Arashiyama quietly. "He never took it off for the rest of his life." They turned their heads slowly towards the speaker.

"What do mean," snarled Inuyasha knowing perfectly what he meant.

"It means that this is the grave site of the Late Ruler and his wife, Lord Inuyasha and Kagome."

"Yeah, I noticed that," snarled Inuyasha angrily. "But why isn't it Kagome I smell? There's a faint bit like old bones but whoever's there is youkai." He pointed a finger at the second grave peak..

"She was youkai," said Arashiyama shrugging. "Maybe she changed her name to comply with your desires. There were a lot of mysteries known only to those two. There was mystery surrounding their deaths as well. Was it old age or murder?"

Inuyasha stared at him severely. "I would never abandon Kagome," Inuyasha said.

"Yet," said Arashiyama, "she might be abandoned by time. Look at her Inuyasha. She is a mortal. A number of demons have taken on mortal wives in recent years and had children by them. But one rule stays the same. Excluding the imprisonment of soul, there is no way to extend a mortals' years. Neither have the children of hanyous been long-lived."

Inuyasha bridled. "Fuck if I listen to you," he said.

"Very well," said Arashiyama bowing. "It is your business purely my Lord. Forgive my impudent curiosity." The demon before them seemed far from the one they had met in the ballpark not too long ago. He was serious, almost sorrowed. He carried an air of reverence too.

So they departed the eerie, pleasant-looking tomb site. They passed by Marasuki again who was rubbing her eyes wildly. On their way out, they encountered some demon boys sneaking around with cans of spray paint and whispering to each other as if in dare. Inuyasha heard what they were saying and popped up in the midst of them. "Boo," he said.

"A ghost!" screeched half a dozen voices as boys ran helter-skelter. Inuyasha left them all hanging up in trees knocked out for a day. Then he brushed off his hands in content. It was good to relieve some stress. So they went back to Higurashi shrine.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome as they landed without their gull friend on the rooftop. "Someone is here."

Inuyasha's skin tingled. That aura, that scent. It was Sesshomaru. Older, but it was still him. Inuyasha directed his ears towards his brother as he came out of the shadows. What shocked him most of all was that he thought he could detect... a smile.

"Hello, Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru as serene-sounding as ever. "So pleasant to see you." Inuyasha had heard those words before only now, they were spoken without irony.

"What do you want Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha barked with his habitual brashness. Sesshomaru actually smiled at him.

"Same as you always were back then," said Sesshomaru calmly. "So tell me, did you enjoy the baseball game?"

"What?" said Inuyasha.

"That was how I found you," said Sesshomaru. "I can't tell you how I've waited for this." Inuyasha instinctively put his hand to his sword. Sesshomaru rushed up and grabbed his hand keeping it in its sheath. Then the older Sesshomaru pulled the stunned hanyou into a hug and let him go.

"It's been three years," said Sesshomaru sadly. "Do me a favor and tell that arrogant fool in the past to lighten up."

"Wha...," said Inuyasha rather dazed.

"He'll understand. Eventually," Sesshomaru spoke. "It was good to see you brother," the silver-haired man with a crescent moon said before vanishing from the eves.


	32. Chapter 32

"How did we get stuck with this?" Miroku whined as twelve children streamed past him, another fourteen infants surrounding him on the ground in bassinets and in baskets. Sango beat out a clothe and put it down, then spooned out dishes of rice.

"Ow," said Sango. "Don't pull there. Yahiko, settle down." She pulled up her braid and sat down on the blanket. "Children, come here and eat."

Miroku kept changing diapers and Sango ignored his pleas for help. "I'm sorry Miroku," she said. "I'm busy already. This is all your fault, so deal with it." Miroku sighed miserably.

Kaede had asked them for help taking care of the village children. It seemed one of the canals was broken so all the villagers, man and woman alike, had gone to dig it free from debris left by a flood. Kaede had disposed of the demon guilty for the flood before they had arrived so one would think they would find no work. But instead, as Inuyasha and Kagome leapt down the well for a visit to her era, Kaede had approached the remaining party members, meaning Shippo, Kohaku, Miroku, and Sango with the request that they babysit while the villagers did their work. Miroku had stupidly said yes and now here they were babysitting an entire village worth of children. Shippo chased some of the older boys around. Kohaku picked flowers for the girls being very softly spoken especially since his return to consciousness. Sango took care of the second to youngest ones and Miroku was stuck with the crying, noisy, but otherwise adorable infants. She also ran back and forth getting fresh diapers and cooking food. It was a very long day.

"How do you think Kagome and Inuyasha are faring?" said Sango conversationally above a squall. She took a toy away from some bickering children.

"In an immense amount of bliss compared to this," said Miroku despairing his fate. The child he was holding scratched his face with its hands bubbling happily. He wrapped it back in its blanket to kept it from hurting itself with his flailing hands.

"Yep," said Sango. She pulled something out of her vest and attached it to her head.

"What's that?" said Miroku both interested and annoyed she had chosen this time to get weird.

"Kagome's walkman," said Sango. "Now's as good a time as any to try it out." She began to ignore the monk.

"Strange," said Sango out loud. "But it has a catchy rhythm." She began to hum.

The children became immediately interested and clung onto the wires with small fingers. Sango unentangled the headphones from her hair and unplugged the earphones. The music suddenly became loud enough for everyone to hear. She smiled and turned it up.

Miroku smiled as the children began to dance or settle down to listen. "Care to dance?" he asked Sango. She blushed and got to her feet and they danced the village way to a modern rock.

Back in the modern era, Inuyasha tagged his feet agitatedly as he lay sprawled out on his and Kagome's bed. What he had seen yesterday had disturbed him. He could not imagine the absence of Kagome from his side or fathom why he would choose another. But then again, he had never thought he would leave Kikyo. No. He shook his head telling himself that their love was so complete he did not think there could be another woman after her. So who had the female youkai been. Why was there only the slightest trace of Kagome's odor, smelling as if it had been there for centuries?

He turned and saw Kagome at her desk, silently paging through some of her old textbooks. It was difficult to read her expression.

"Regretful, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked softly.

"No," said Kagome firmly. "No matter what happens, I have had you and Aijo and that makes me the luckiest woman in the world." She came up and kissed him on the ear then looked out the window."

"Thinking about yesterday?" he said. She nodded. "Me too."

The silence lay unbroken save by the sound of a soccer ball rolling in the courtyard below. "Souta," Kagome murmured quietly then the silence enveloped them once again.

Inuyasha couldn't stand it anymore so he reached up and pulled her into her arms.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing," she squeaked.

He kissed her and her squeak fell away. She kissed him back instead. "I guess we don't have to go anywhere today," she said. They clutched onto each other's collar and melted into one other for a stream of kisses. They might have gone further but there was a knock on the door.

"Yeah what is it?" asked Kagome none too pleased.

"Ji-chan told me to give these to you," said Souta timidly. So that explained the unattended soccer ball. Kagome creaked open the door and took some tickets which were slid through. Then she fastened the door firmly and settled back in Inuyasha's lap.

In two meticulate folders were two tickets to a Japanese pop concert. Kagome was very puzzled. "Why would Ji-chan give me these?" she asked. She looked at the date and saw the concert was tonight at the local highschool.

She stared at the tickets and saw scrawled up in the upper left-hand corner a note from who else but Hojo. "Congratulations," it said. "I hope we will always be good friends. I look forward to meeting your husband at the concert." Kagome was floored.

"I can't believe it," she muttered.

So with great trepidation and after inflicting much damage on Inuyasha, Kagome got him into fancy clothes and put on something cute for herself. She dug out her purse and lipstick. "How do I look?" she said kissing him softly as he came back into the room. He rubbed his lips fiercely.

"Nasty," he complained. "That stuff tastes awful." He picked up a shirt and decided what was good for most women wasn't good for Kagome. He wiped it all off.

"Hey!" said Kagome angrily. Besides messing up her face, he had just stained a perfectly good shirt.

"I'm not kissing you tasting like that," he said quite sure of himself.

"Sit boy," Kagome said. She turned around to the mirror and reapplied some lipstick.

"By the way," she said smoothly. "Is Mom downstairs yet? I need her to watch over Aijo."

"Yeah," said Inuyasha brushing himself off in defeat. He hoped the night would soon be over.

So the took off by rooftop, always better than cab. They arrived swiftly and dropped down onto the sidewalk where dozens of couples and streams of uncoupled youth were walking. They followed the current into the school.

They went into a large auditorium packed with steel chairs and already-lined bleachers. Soon, the lights were dimmed and a girl walked onto stage wearing an outfit with fake pink fur in it.

"Hello everybody," she said winking as leant into the microphone. "I'm sure you're all eager to get started tonight so let's welcome the.."

Kagome stopped listening because she saw who walked out on stage carrying a guitar. It was Hojo. He waved and smiled. Then he spoke over the megaphone using his headset.

"Hello everybody," he yelled above the cheering crowd. "This one's for a girl I'm glad to have known and wish I could have known better. Congrats Kagome!" There were whistles around the room.

Kagome cringed as Hojo let loose on his guitar and he was... good. And he was so un-Hojo, at leastas she had known him. She had always thought of him as being so considerate, so kind and gentle, so, well, meek. Here he was leaping about stage slamming it with an energy that reminded her a little bit of Inuyasha but a lot more suave. His outfit was to die for, with a bandana, spiked hair and even... piercings? Here was a side she had never known. She gulped and looked sideways to Inuyasha who was looking displeased but not in the know. "Cheeky," he muttered.

But then Hojo's band stopped for a break letting another one in. Hojo walked straight up the isles to where Inuyasha and Kagome were seated. He held out his hand and smiled, spiked hair overshadowing his face.

"Inuyasha," he said pleasantly. He gripped Inuyasha's hand and Inuyasha tensed gripping back a little more than Hojo had.. Hojo shook his hand to get out the kinks.

"Great to see you again Kagome," he said. "You know, when you pulled out of school I though the illnesses finally had you. I hear you've gotten married instead."

"Yeah," said Kagome grateful her friends had left certain things out.

"Well," said Hojo. "I'm sorry to have lost out. But you helped me in a big way Kagome."

"How's that?" she said.

"Well," continued Hojo. "When I tried to visit you at the hospital one day I ran into a group looking for young musicians to play at benefit concerts for the ill. Thinking of you, I signed up and soon I was playing four times a week at hospitals and around town.

"Really?" said Kagome faking a smile.

"Absolutely," said Hojo. "Seems I have a real talent and draw people in." Kagome coughed.

"Well, I'm glad you have something that moves you," said Kagome.

"Yeah, it's great," said Hojo. "Only, after this year, I'm thinking of retiring and going to medical school."

"Really?" Kagome said half-heartedly.

"Sure thing," Hojo said. "And I owe it all to you." Kagome forced a weak laugh. She couldn't wait to get home and wash the egg off her face.

"How about you Inuyasha?" said Hojo turning to him. "Can you play?"

"I can sing," he said stubbornly. Kagome snickered. He could sing all right. She had found him in the bath with her headphones on bellowing out one of her rock-and-roll tunes. She told Hojo the title.

"Great," said Hojo. "Maybe you can help me with the next song."

Kagome stiffened in her seat absolutely horrified. Sure his singing wasn't half-bad but this was simply not happening. Before she knew it, Hojo had dragged her and Inuyasha up on stage to do the closing solo.

"It's for charity," said Hojo kindly. "They'll love you no matter what you do Kagome." Inuyasha looking up at the stage lights alarmed. "What is going on?"

"Well," she said hesitantly. "Before you and I, um got married he and I were, going out. Meaning spending time together and stuff."

"WHAT!" sputtered Inuyasha. "What Kouga wasn't enough?"

"It's not like that," Kagome yelled back her voice hidden by the crowd. "He really liked me and wouldn't leave me alone. If anything, I was cheating with YOU. Hojo was courting me long before you ever came along mister." She pointed a finger at him and Inuyasha almost growled.

Hojo was completely oblivious. He came over to the now highly unfriendly Inuyasha and introduced him. He then started singing the one song Inuyasha knew. He smiled and threw Inuyasha the mike.

Not to be out done, Inuyasha sang the best he could. There was a slight growl to his voice and Kagome found it sexy. Apparently, a lot of other women did too because when the song was done, there were a lot of turned-on cheers. Kagome smiled in relief as he tossed back the microphone.

"Good job Inuyasha," she said kissing him. He rubbed the offending lipstick off him.

"Damn it Kagome," he sputtered, "I told you not to wear that stuff!"

"Sorry," she said with warmth. She looked around the auditorium. "Inuyasha, I'm not sure but I think there's a jewel shard around here. Not in the school but to the west." Inuyasha was interested in that news all right. He couldn't wait to go jewel hunting.


	33. Chapter 33

They ran swiftly through the dark. By the time they left the concert, night had settled on the eves of every rooftop. The flash of moonlight on tiles slid past them in a blur as they sped onwards, never stopping, never pausing for even a breather because Inuyasha did not need one. Instead, there was a whoosh of fabric caught in the wind and Kagome tucked her head amongst the cascade of hair protecting her, surrounding her. Far off in the distance, Kagome saw the red gleam of an overhead tram and then several bridges with ribbons of yellow lights and red blinkers. She sucked in some of the night air and relished the fact that she was free to enjoy it. Nothing could happen to her since Inuyasha was here. Not that she wasn't absolutely fearless on her own.

Still, she cherished her protector. It was probably a great deal of the reason she fell in love with him in the first place. He wasn't much of a provider usually, making others take care of him. But he battled fiercely and suffered for them without complaint. He was brave, bold, and warm of heart. Kagome was so proud of him. She snuggled even closer, his warm back much nicer to be against than the chill air.

"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha softly. She lifted her head to listen. "Where is the jewel shard?"

"Over there," said Kagome pointing to a historical district. There was an old temple there completely dark.. No lamps shone out in the garden or within its walls. Inuyasha leapt down by the light of a clear moon. He landed among some azaleas and sniffed around. Surely his mind was playing tricks on him.

They walked forward in the absolute depth of black. Kagome bumped into Inuyasha as he stopped, listening keenly. They were attacked by a youkai. Or rather one snuck up on them, tackling Inuyasha after popping up in a puff of smoke.

"Oi," Inuyasha said. "Get off me Shippo."

"Otosan, is that you?" said the voice of an adult. The night lit up into blue flames which drifted around them eerily like walls. They could see clearly a green-eyed fox demon as tall as Inuyasha's waist.

"Okasan," said Shippo. "Kagome, I'm so glad to see you. It's been three years." He lifted a paw up to the corner of an eye. "Like I said at the funeral, you will always be missed."

This being dead while alive thing bothered Inuyasha so he changed topic. "So Shippo," he asked. "What are you doing in an old temple?" He looked about.

"I enjoy the old architecture," said Shippo. "It reminds me of the old days. Come on in." His wall of flames turned into a passage and Kagome thought she was stuck inside a lava lamp.

They walked up to the main door of the temple and a door of lames lit up. "Come in," said Shippo holding out a hand. "The waves won't hurt you. They open up the illusion of an empty building. Otherwise, one merely dreams they are here."

Kagome nodded and walked forward. After a pleasant sensation like warm water, she found herself in a brightly colored room rich in deep red and wood. There was a fire burning happily in an inviting hearth with soft-looking chairs all around. Some of the furnishings were ancient and looked as if they could be in a museum but some were modern such as a mini-fridge and laptop computer. What attracted Kagome the most was the sword hanging over the mantle. It looked like Tetsusiaga. Inuyasha had noticed it too and moved towards it.

"It that the Tetsusiaga?" he said simply.

"Yeah," said Shippo pulling it down without any crackling energy. "We modified it so only I can hold it. Not that I can use it." The blade lay quietly in his hands and as he unsheathed it it remained untransformed. They caught a good glimpse of the blade and then Shippo returned it to its stand.

There were a lot of things Kagome and Inuyasha both wanted to ask, such as what had become of Aijo, and why Shippo had become owner of the sword. But then someone bounded out of one of the doors leading off from their room. It was Kilala.

"Mew mew," said Kilala to Shippo. She looked up at Inuyasha and Kagome and mewed again. She purred and rubbed herself against their legs. Then she broke into a series of chiding mews to Shippo. He frowned.

"All right already," he said. "Bossy cat. I know the children called." Kilala fluffed up her fur and stalked off (interpret that however you like).

"I'm sorry Inuyasha," said Shippo. "But Kilala's right. You mustn't know too much about the future. Only," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "be sure to throw the perfume away."

"Hm? What perfume?" asked Kagome puzzled.

"I can't say anything else. I suppose that what happened will happen no matter what I do. Be good to Taihen."

"Taihen? Who's that?" Kagome asked.

"You'll find out," said Shippo grimacing.

He walked them to the door and gave them each a hug. "Goodbye mother, father," he said. "Visit me in a few years if you have time." He put a paw into his kimono and withdrew a tiny glass jar, the same one Kagome used now. Inside was one tiny jewel shard. He handed it over to Kagome.

"Here," he said. "You'll find it eventually and give it to me as a present. I've kept it dear to me until now."

Kagome looked at him like he was loopy. "Are you serious Shippo? Why would I give you anything so dangerous?"

"You'll see," said Shippo. "By the way, this is the same jewel as one from Kouga's legs so in addition to the other taken from hamsters," he coughed suppressing a laugh, "you don't need Kouga's jewels."

"What?" Inuyasha practically yelped. Kagome smiled.

"Thanks Shippo," she said. "I'll definitely throw out that perfume."

They exited the door and Shippo shook his head. He knew that somehow they didn't. In a way, it was a good thing but he wished deeply the could avoid so much pain.

"Oh well," Shippo said. "We lived through it somehow."

Back in the night, Inuyasha scowled while Kagome beamed talking about how nice it was.

"Yeah, well the less dealings with that wimpy wolf the better," concluded Inuyasha. They found their way to the warm courtyard of Higurashi Shrine and leapt in the inviting square of light that led into their room. Then they shut the window and settled in for the night.

True to her word, Kagome searched her bags for whatever perfume Shippo had mentioned. Her hands came across a minute glass bottle and she pulled it out. "I thought you threw this away?" she said.

Dutifully, Kagome went to the sink and without sloshing any, poured it all down. She recapped the bottle and put it back in her bag to show Sango. Unbeknownst to her, the empty bottle began to refill annulling Shippo's words.

Back in the feudal era, they told their seemingly impossible tale to Miroku and Sango. Then again, the fact that they were a party was proof that pretty much anything was possible so Sango and Miroku tried to take their words seriously. Shippo danced around excited that he could be so cool but saddened by thought of losing another set of parents. He leapt up onto Kagome's shoulder.

"Never leave me for a very, very long time okay?" Kagome patted him on the head reassuringly.

"I won't Shippo, I promise," she said.

So they all said goodbye to Kaede and walked off. As they left the village boundaries, Kagome remembered something. She took the bottle of sample perfume from her backpack still thinking it was empty and passed it to Sango.

"Sango," she asked. "Will you please look at this bottle and see what you think?"

"I'd be glad to," said Sango. She held it in her hand without opening it and consulted Miroku. They couldn't come up with anything so she tucked it into her robes. Then they went on their way without incident.

Several days and several demon slayings later, they anticipated the new moon. Inuyasha paced around fearful that something would come to attack him and his family while they were relatively defenseless. Nothing they could do would calm him down. They settled for the night in a secluded grove.

"Calm down Inuyasha," said Miroku for the dozenth time as Inuyasha tread on his game of solitaire. He reassembled Kagome's deck and handed it back to her.

"Thanks Miroku," she said.

"Dinner's about ready," said Sango softly, Kilala mewing at her heels.

Inuyasha, who was still in his hanyou form, sniffed the air looking at the overcast sky. "It's going to rain," he said.

"Indeed," said Miroku stoking the fire into a huge blaze. "However, there isn't any place to lodge around here at least according to what we've been told. Besides, it is unwise to be at movement during this time." He looked over his shoulder at the setting sun.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha quietly.

The sun sank and Inuyasha studied the crunch of stone underfoot on the distant road. A few voices muttered coming closer and then several lines of monks with straw hats and shuffling feet appeared.

"You," said Inuyasha harshly sniffing the air. The monks and the hanyou stared at one another.

"We meet again, half-demon," said one of the monks. "I had hoped to see the last of your kind. Slayer, monk, priestess, why haven't you heeded our warning and separated yourselves from these demons?

Miroku stood up and dusted off his robes. "Forgive me for my rudeness," he said with a hard glint in his eyes, "but we do not need separating from them."

"Such impertinence," said the old monk. "Young one, you have strayed in your training." The old man was distracted from what he was saying when his eyes fell on the bundle held in Kagome's arms.

"You," he snarled causing Kagome to slid further behind Inuyasha's back. "You filthy, worthless woman! A priestess lowering herself to bed with a half-breed!"

Inuyasha stepped more fully in front of her. "Be careful what you say about my mate bastard," he said coldly and cracking a handful of claws.

"So you admit to that aberration?" said the monk enraged.

"Proudly," said Inuyasha. "My son is more the man than you could ever be."

The monk looked livid but then he laughed as the last bit of sun faded in the sky. "Remember what happened last time?" he said.

"Oh shit," said Inuyasha realizing what he meant. With triumph, the prejudiced monk watched Inuyasha transform from an invulnerable hanyou to a mere mortal. Miroku stepped forward and hid him with his staff.

"Inuyasha, you and Kagome get out of here," he said seriously. "Kilala, help them. Kohaku you go too." The quiet boy nodded.

Kilala transformed and roared. Inuyasha helped Kagome up along with Aijo, Shippo, and Kohaku. "Come on Inuyasha," Kagome said.

"Nothing doing," said Inuyasha stubbornly. "You think I'd leave you alone Miroku?"

Miroku smirked, his staff barred in front of him. "I thought it might be like that."

The three humans stood in a circle while Kilala hovered in the sky. The monks charged in and everyone had their hands full.

"Miroku," said Sango pressed almost to his back as they fought staff to staff or sword to staff. They were being pressed in and they realized suddenly what was going on. They were being separated from Inuyasha whom they were out to kill.

"Move," said Sango ripping out her Hirakatose and slamming down a few heads. She reached Inuyasha just as he received a wound to his side. "Are you okay?" she said anxiously as Inuyasha clutched his ribs.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha brave like always. He stood up and fell to his knees.

"Kagome," called Sango. "Take Inuyasha." Kilala flew down and they hauled him up.

"Fly away Kilala," said Sango fearfully and the firecat did so. Kagome watched in dismay at the battle far below.

Miroku looked up at the sky and shouted, "All right, we surrender!" When the din stilled he dropped his staff." I avail myself to your discipline elders," he said.

"Miroku," said Sango shocked but with understanding.

"Very good interient monk," said the eldest. "At last you are behaving as a monk should."

"Perhaps a spell is lifting," said Miroku coldly.

"Yes," said the head monk. "Let's hope the hanyou dies so you are free from his curse." They imprisoned Sango and Miroku and led them to their monastery which coincidentally was nearby.

High above the forest, Kagome caught sight of the monastery. Inuyasha saw it too. "Well let's go," he said. "Let's get them out of there."

"Not until we bandage your wounds," said Kagome firmly. They landed back at the campsite and Kagome found her first aid kit. They spent the next few minutes binding his wounds. "You're not really fit to fight," Kagome said truthfully.

"Bah," said Inuyasha staggering to his feet. He swayed and had to use the Tetsusiaga as a crutch. "Damn being a human," he vocalized. "It hurts so damn much." Kagome handed him some pain reliever.

Inside a strict temple, Miroku and Sango found themselves stripped and placed in purification robes. Then chants were spoken over them and they were sent to stand in the freezing water of short waterfall. Miroku took it pretty well.

"How do you stand this?" chattered Sango.

"Oh, by not thinking. Or by thinking warm thoughts." He let out a flirtatious smile.

"Be pure Miroku," said Sango waving a finger.

"Ah my dear Sango," said Miroku shutting his eyes. "You know me too well. I can not hide anything from you."

"Like all the butt-stroking at the village?"

"Exactly," said Miroku.

"You really have been irreprimandable lately haven't you?"

"I'm afraid so Sango," said Miroku. "I wasting away in love of you."

Sango didn't quite buy it but at least she wasn't so cold anymore. Sango splashed over and hissed to Miroku when she saw someone floating up in the sky.

"I sense them Sango," whispered Miroku solemnly opening his eyes. "Unfortunately the other monks must too. It will be a difficult escape."

Sango nodded. They waited in the water silently for a bit and Sango stood up slowly. There were two monks watching her.

Loudly Miroku said, "I'm glad you're beginning to see it my way Sango. My dearest ambition is to have many children with you."

"Can it Miroku," said Sango irritably. "When you learn to behave, that's when I'll marry you." She stomped off some of the water and bowed to one of the monks.

"Venerable sir, would you please get me some clothes? " She never found out whether or not he would object because she slammed both monks upside the head.

"Let's move," Sango shouted back at Miroku.

"Gladly my dear Sango," he said. They ran to the edge of the wall and signaled. Kilala swooped down with Inuyasha and Kagome on her. They had left the others somewhere safer.

"Kilala can't carry all of us," Sango fussed. "Besides, I need my armor back. We'll have to fight our way through."

"Seems we don't have much of a choice," said Miroku as monks arrived having sensed the demon energy.

"Wait a minute," said Kagome snapping her fingers. "A barrier."

"And you only think of this now?" said Inuyasha.

"You didn't either," she retorted.

So Kagome shot up a small barrier and they walked right through, leisurely plucking their clothes off the line. They were in for a nasty surprise when the head monk showed up. He was able to break through with the help of his compatriots.

"Wah?" said Kagome.

Sango pushed Inuyasha onto Kilala. "Kilala, go," she said.

"Damn it Sango," said Inuyasha. "Stop treating me like that. I ain't dead yet."

"Can you take the left?" said Sango smiling.

"Sure," said Inuyasha trying to grin despite his pain. He took Tetsusiaga still sheathed from his belt.

"Let's go then," said Sango. She battered through the lines of monks with her Hirakatose while Inuyasha used his sheathed sword to bowl over several others.

"Kagome, get on my back," said Miroku.

"Er," said Kagome but she did so anyway. They ran into the forest and caught up with Sango, Kilala, and Inuyasha.

"What are you doing pervert?" said Inuyasha narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing!" said Miroku letting Kagome down quickly. He held out his hands in front of him.

"Better not be monk," said Inuyasha harshly.

Miroku sighed. "Don't any of you trust me?"

"No," they all said in unison. Kagome took Sango's place on Kilala and they ran off to rejoin the remaining three members of their group. They spent the rest of the night traveling and gratefully, they welcomed the dawning sun.


	34. Chapter 34

Well, I just read the latest manga and it blows my story all to pieces. But it's finished now so read and enjoy (if you can). In other notes, admittedly the villains are probably OOC (out of character). I'm not entirely clear about Naraku's strategies but I know he likes to sit back and pit people against each other. He didn't do any of that here. I just said, he's desperate and underestimating!

Kohaku yawned, his grey eyes looking around softly. It was a quiet night. He looked over to his older sister and thought about how nice she was and how kind her friends had been to him. He had heard about how his sister was engaged and he was happy for her. "I hope you are always happy Sango," he said quietly.

For his part, his mind was caught up in a constant scroll of pain. He wished only for peace but he tried to be brave for his sister's sake. He rubbed his eyes after looking into the fire too long. He got up to relieve himself and the gentle fluttering of the leaves was the last conscious thought he ever had. Before he had gone three steps into the woods Kanna showed up with her creepy mirror and reabsorbed his soul.

"Return to the campsite," said Kanna and he obeyed her command. Kanna then turned over her mirror and looked deep within. Naraku's servant was approaching and she slid back into obscurity as he arrived outside the circle of firelight.

Inuyasha lifted his head. "Naraku," he said causing everyone in camp to tense, except for Kohaku that is. They drew together and readied their weapons.

A webline snaked its way across the ground suddenly, scattering the fire and damaging terrain. Inuyasha watched in horror as the webbing took advantage of the pandemonium and wrapped itself like fingers around Aijo.

"No!" shouted Kagome letting loose a flurry of spiritual energy. It disintegrated the web.

Naraku's latest minion showed up in the edge of the treetop. "Now now woman," said the demon with amusement. "If you didn't want Naraku to steal him you shouldn't have had him. Such a vulnerability," he continued shaking his head.

"Damn Naraku to hell," steamed Inuyasha.

"Yes, you've said that already," said the demon bored. Inuyasha drew out his Tetsusiaga and let loose a blast that leveled half the forest.

"Tsk, tsk," said the demon. "Such destruction. All over a little thing. I have no grudge with you personally Inuyasha. Just hand over the fellow and I'll go. There's no need for deforestation."

"Like hell I will," he said swinging his blade. Naraku's incarnation held him off with a wall of fire. "My master cometh," he said.

"What?" said Inuyasha. Naraku had never done any fighting before if he could help it preferring to stay somewhere safe and hidden. But with a cracking Naraku shot out of ground surrounded by poisonous insects. With his tendrils he reached up and knocked out Kagome, dragging Aijo up out of her arms.

"Naraku," yelled Inuyasha with absolute hatred.

"Yes Inuyasha," mocked Naraku. "What is it?"

"Damn you," shouted Inuyasha his eyes tinged red. "Give him back."

"That is my intention," said Naraku chillingly. "In exchange for your sword and jewel shards that is." Inuyasha looked at his blade.

"My sword?" he uttered confused.

"Let me make this easier for you," said Naraku cruelly. He sent out searching tendrils which removed Kagome's bottle of jewel shards fromher person and brought them to him. With great pleasure, he placed them with the rest of the jewel and Sango gasped.

"The sacred jewel is complete!"

"Almost," said Naraku spookily. "There are two. One shard guarded by Mouryoumaru. It is currently beyond my reach. The other however is within this camp."

"No!" shouted Sango fiercely as he reached a tendril out to Kohaku who stared with blank eyes.

Inuyasha interrupted the action. He slashed out trying to get Aijo down. He was met with a field of crackling. He struggled against it but was repulsed. Itacted like netting lit with fire and he realized even as he used his dragon-scaled Tetsusiaga on itthere no effect on Naraku. Instead, Naraku's servant was straining to keep the barrier aloft. He panted.

"Your sword or your son," said Naraku creepily. He reached over and wrapped a tendril around Kohaku. "Do not disappoint me if you wish to save these two boys." Kohaku stared blankly as he was lifted aloft. Kohsku reached out and took hold of Aijo as they were surrounded by flesh.

Inuyasha was beyond enraged. He was barking. He snarled ferociously effectively waking Kagome up. She rose teary-eyed.

Inuyasha trembled as Naraku repeated his demands. Slowly, he inched his hand to his belt and took out the scabbard and sheathed the Tetsuiaga. As if completely lost in mind he hesitated, uncertain as whether to throw the sword or not.

At that moment, there was a tearing sound as Kohaku sliced through Naraku's tendrils with his chain scythe. He leapt onto the ground and flipped terrifically avoiding Naraku's grasp. He ferried Aijo in his arms, carrying him away from the front-line of battle into the ranks of Inuyasha's group.

Kagome choked in relief. Inuyasha nearly swooned. Sango cried out in pride, tears streaming down her face. Miroku gave him congratulations but he noticed the odd blank look on Kohaku's face.

Inuyasha turned towards Naraku with a smile. "Seems your plan back-fired, didn't it? Now you're here and I'm going to kick your ass!" Inuyasha ran forward forcing himself against the barrier. Naraku's servant held him off for a few moments but began to falter as all his energy was sucked into the sword. Naraku began to rise in a cloud of smoke but Sango and Miroku leapt onto Kilala and rode into the sky. "No you don't!" shouted Miroku opening his wind tunnel.

"Miroku! You'll be poisoned!" shouted Sango.

"It's all out now," said Miroku resolutely.

Sango nodded. She launched her boomerang cutting down as many of the poisonous insects as she could. She hoped Miroku would hold up.

Down below, Inuyasha broke apart the barrier and with a few quick blasts did away with Naraku's weakened servant. As Miroku slumped over Inuyasha sent a diamond blast skyward towards Naraku. Kagome got a similar idea and let loose one of her arrows following up with another. Sango let loose her boomerang with Miroku's staff on it and Naraku was blasted on all sides from three separate attacks. A nearly complete Shikon Notama fell from the sky and Kagome picked it up.

"Do you think he's gone?" said Kagome. Miroku opened his eyes weakly. Gingerly, he examined his hand and everyone waited with bated breath. Then Miroku announced that the wind tunnel had disappeared. They all sighed deeply in relief.

"In some way," Miroku said in response to Kagome's question. He rewrapped his hand out of habit. "But remember what Kikyo-sama said. He will never truly leave this world as long as the jewel exists. Somehow, he must have merged the jewel with his own soul." He closed his eyesto rest before continuing.

"Besides that," he said sternly. "Mouryoumaru remains and he is part of Naraku."

"So Naraku still lives," said Kagome softly.

"Yes," said Miroku smiling weakly. "But I now have time to complete that battle." He held up his hand happily. Then he turned to Sango.

"Now Sango my dear," he began with all the strength he could muster. "It's time you kept that promise." She sighed exasperated.

Kohaku kept standing there holding Aijo. Kagome failed to note the blank expression on his face. Eyes agleam with hopeful laughter, she went to retrieve her child. She was shocked when Kohaku took a step backward.

"Kohaku," she said suddenly getting everyone's attention.

A ghostly white girl with a mirror appeared. "Kohaku," she breathed. "Bring me the child." Everyone stiffened with fear.

"Oh no you don't," said Inuyasha rushing forward.

Shippo beat him to it. He had gone unnoticed so close to Kohaku's feet due to his small size. He let loose a giant snake puppet and wrestled Aijo free. "Nobody hurts my little brother," he said defiantly. The next moment a huge explosion boomed where Kanna used to be. She reappeared on a rock.

"Kohaku, come," she said. She disappeared again and Kohaku began running. Sango pursued him on Kilala but Kanna had provided a demon and he lifted off on its trailing back.

"No," said Sango not giving up. But they disappeared without a trace.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, the show or any of the characters.

Note: Sadness, heartbreak, and unpleasant doings in this chapter. Dare to read?

**Chapter 35: Dark**

They dragged into a village greatly disheartened. Sango was miserable and everyone knew it. Even if someone tried to cheer her up, she only turned away with a face full of tears.

Miroku had not helped the problem. At the fire last night, he had foolishly told Inuyasha that, "It seems hopeless to ever truly get Kohaku back."

Inuyasha had replied, "I know what you mean," and Sango had raged at them both.

Inuyasha's group examined the village they had come to and Kagome's heart sunk. This would not help Sango at all. At the very edge of the road stood a small manor with its roof redone in thatch. It was unmistakably Sakura's dwelling.

Still, Miroku was not in much of a condition to cause trouble. The poison still hadn't fully left his system so he was still weak. He resorted to riding Kilala or leaning on his staff for support. In addition to his injuries from their recent battle with Naraku, he had been injured even more when a vengeful demon lurking by the side of the road had proved too fast for his slowed reflexes. Sango had beat it down for him but not until after it had got a swipe in.

So as Miroku stumbled along leant heavily on his staff he looked up and saw Sakura coming out of her cottage. She watched them for a minute and then threw down her water bucket at the sight of Miroku's bandages. She hastened up the path and quickly reached his side.

"Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Inuyasha," said Sakura. "What happened?" She looked at the strips of cloth sodden with blood and put a hand to her heart. Then she looked up at his goofy smile.

"Careless," said Miroku in a measured way conserving his strength. "Demon... got me."

Sakura blanched white. "You come in this minute," she said. Miroku shrugged. He had merely been stretching his legs after riding Kilala for hours but he didn't mind. He could use the rest and the company since Sango was mad at him.

They all sat around quietly dipping their chopsticks into their bowls of rice. They all chewed solemnly, paying attention to the little sounds around them such as the twitter of birds and the children shouting outside. Sakura sent them all away to a shrine park to play so Miroku could sleep. They all seemed caught up in their individual thoughts.

Time slipped by and they spent the night there. In the morning, all the women helped with the laundry as they watched a dog yelping in the street and some chickens passing as they dug for grain. Sakura sent the children away again in the afternoon to fly their kites as she mended clothes.

It was quiet and Sango almost forgave Sakura for looking so beautiful and for attracting Miroku's attention. Still, she bridled with rage when she saw Sakura's obvious infatuation. The woman seemed smitten. She was bending over backwards to do anything for Miroku. Maybe she was just fooling herself Sango thought. Maybe Sakura was just acting as a devote caretaker, smothering him like that. Sakura obviously put plenty of time and energy into her little ones so it was clear she was used to the role. All in all, she seemed the perfect mother. That's what got Sango worried.

Sango had been avoiding Miroku for the last two days for obvious reasons. First, it was his stupid words about Kohaku and their fight over the campfire. Second, it was Sakura. Third, it was every woman Miroku had ever hit on. Sango wasn't quite ready to marry Miroku if all he did was sneak off to flirt with other women. Still, Sakura had Sango particularly concerned. She didn't seem to mind Miroku's attentions. Other women slapped him, whispered behind their hand, giggled as if it were jest, or got their husbands. Sakura simply smiled and said how Miroku reminded her of her old husband.

In the late afternoon, Sakura removed Miroku's old bandages and began wrapping new ones around his arm. Sango looked over angrily from the corner but didn't say anything. She would have to speak to Miroku later. Setting aside her burning jealousy, Sango longed to be able to do that. It was her place taking care of Miroku, not Sakura's!

She was staring over at Miroku from her corner unnerving him when Kagome ran back into the hut. "It's Kohaku," she said. "Definitely a jewel shard." Sango stood up quickly. She would have to take care of this later. Right now, Kohaku was the most important thing.

"Kohaku. My brother," she mumbled with mixed worry and relief. She shouldered her Hirakatose and left the building. Inuyasha stood up from his post and joined Kagome at the door. "Coming Miroku?" he said calling back.

"I'll catch up. Go ahead," said Miroku seriously. Sakura was still putting a few finishing touches on his bandages.

Everyone but Miroku raced out. Within a minute of their departure, Miroku stood up to leave. He moved towards the door.

"Wait," said a voice. Sakura had grabbed onto his robes and was kneeling beside him. "Don't go," she said tears trembling down her face.

"What is the meaning of this?" said Miroku sternly.

"Don't go," said Sakura with renewed earnest. "I don't want you to get killed."

Miroku softened. "I'll be okay Sakura," he said simply.

"No," Sakura pleaded with desperation. "Don't leave me. I don't have a man for whom to bear a child." Seductively, she got to her feet never loosening her hold. She stood there looking face to face. Miroku could see the tears in her eyes give way to red flushed cheeks of desire. She leaned ever closer to him.

Gods! He could smell her scent, her perfume, and feel her hot breath as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Get undressed," she whispered, the wind tickling Miroku's ear.

Miroku didn't say anything but stood stock-still. She smiled hungrily at him and crept a hand up against his robes clutching his manly parts. Miroku gasped and stiffened. He hardly noticed when his hand snaked round the small of her back. She moved closer.

"This can't be happening, I'm supposed to catch up with the others," thought Miroku in a desperate, slurried way. But then all thought disappeared as they continued to kiss. Miroku's staff hit the ground as his other hand darted up to cup Sakura's breasts. She kissed wildly back almost knocking him over and he let her guide him to the floor straddling him. Like a flower shedding its petals, Sakura slid her outer robe from her shoulders and leaned towards him again stroking him. Miroku shuttered in her grasp.

* * *

Outside the hut and several miles away. Sango rode Kilala full tilt across the sky. The firecat growled out fiercely as if to say, "Today is the day we get Kohaku back." Everyone had a very determined look on their face.

They arrived in a small rocky valley. At its very edge stood the boy they had long chased after, dreaming to free him for Sango's sake. For a short amount of time they thought they had but he was snatched away again. The tears streamed down Sango's face as she regarded his stony face deprived of recognition. To his side was Kanna and Mouryoumaru.

"So, you have been foolish enough to come," said Mouryoumaru. Sango shouldered her Hirakatose. She gave the enemy a fierce glare.

"Release my brother Kohaku," she demanded.

"Of course," the evil one mocked as the original Naraku might have. "After you give me the sacred jewel."

"Not this again," said Inuyasha. "Sango, Kagome, you deal with the kid."

"Right," said Kagome with both Aijo and Shippo hanging off her. She readied and arrow and covered for Sango while they flew in to take back Kohaku, zombie boy or not. Kagome put up a shield to stave off Kanna who had a habit of popping up when you least expected it. Meanwhile, Inuyasha went head to head with Mouryoumaru. The girls thought they were safe but then Kanna surprised them all by using her mirror to walk straight through the shield. Sango paused, knowing that any attack would be deflected. Kohaku raised his head, drawn on to act according to Kanna's command. Sango and the others had to flee to the corner of the barrier. Against their backs debris rained down form the battle raging outside. Kagome could not break the barrier or Mouryoumaru would be able to get through. Kohaku rushed at Sango and she blocked his strikes. Kanna watched as expressionless as always. Kagome tried a shot at her but before she could fire Kohaku moved in the way.

"If only I could crack that mirror," thought Kagome not able to thing of much. "A mirror, a mirror that sucks life," though Kagome, "not, it sucks spirit. That's it! Spirit! I have to do something with spirit!"

She looked around her and saw nothing inspirational. Maybe she could just find a decent-sized rock. She looked around her and to her left she sensed a pool of natural energy. She directed her own spiritual energy towards it and ran over there drawing her bow and pointing the arrow towards Kohaku.

"Kagome, no!" shouted Sango.

But Kagome had no intention of shooting Kohaku. As soon as Kanna slid round her back like a ghost the ground split open with a current of energy. A tree grew up in less than a second and vines wrapped themselves firmly around Kanna. She looked at her bindings expressionlessly the mirror still held out in front of her. Kagome thought surely the vines weren't enough to hold her down for long so she used the time gained to grab hold of the mirror. Absolutely crazy but it was their only shot.

"Let go," said Kanna with only the barest hint of emotion. Kagome began to feel an emptiness inside herself, a vast examination of her soul. In return, she poured back her rage and her passions as if this were a struggle of wills.

"I am Kagome Higurashi," she said trying to move. "I am and I will be." All the time she spent growing up and the time spent with Inuyasha passed before her eyes. So did several other lifetimes. The memories rose unbidden, flashing before her only to be forgotten anew, even Kikyo's.

"Kagome!" shouted Shippo once again saving the day. He awakened Kagome with his words and she glared down at the little phantom girl, spiritual energy crackling across her hands. Spiritual light wove itself around the mirror and fractures spread across its face and along the frame.

Kohaku shuttered and passed out as his spirit returned to him. Sango knelt by his side. The little white girl looked up, a flower drooping from her hair.

"I am afraid," said the ghostly girl. Kagome stopped her assault.

"Of death?" she asked gently.

"Of life and death. I am the void." So saying, the mirror frame and glass broke into a thousand tiny pieces and Kanna simply faded away.

"She was like an object," said Kagome sifting through the metal sadly. "Like Yura or like Kagura. I didn't know." She stood up and looked back over towards Sango.

Outside her barrier, Mouryoumaru was mocking Inuyasha by letting him clang against his invincible armor. Inuyasha swore and glanced into the pink globe. He saw Kagome kneeling and then the protective barrier shuttered and dissipated. "Kagome!" he yelled.

Back in the barrier, Sango had a hand on Kagome's arm. "Are you all right?" she asked her.

"Yeah Sango," said Kagome. "I'm just tired that's all. I used up too much spiritual energy."

"Let's get you out of here," said Sango. She helped Kagome up on Kilala. Before she could sling her brother onto thetwo-tail, Mouryoumaru came to crash their party. He upheaved a good part of the ground, chasing round Kagome and Kilala. Sango hugged onto her brother and protected his fallen body with her own as debris covered them.

"Sango," yelled Inuyasha anxiously trying to drive the monster back. "Get out of here all of you! Go find Miroku!"

But it was too late. Mouryoumaru took advantage of their weakness and plucked up the brother and sister with a tendril. He tossed Sango aside and tore the jewel shard from his back. Then he threw the boy away. Everyone was horrified.

Then, as if in still motion, everyone watched Mouryoumaru pull out the last remaining jewel shard from his armor and piece it together with the sacred jewel. In horror, Kagome reached up to her neck and realized she must have lost it in battle.

"Kanna did have one last use," Mouryoumaru smirked. He held out the whole, unfragmented jewel in his hand. Chuckling cruelly, he spread forth his leathery wings and took to the sky.

"Bastard," said Inuyasha trying to knock him out of the air with and enormous diamond blast but to no avail. Their enemy disappeared. Inuyasha stood looking up at the clouds for a few moments musing things. Then he turned around to take notice of Sango's grievings.

Tears washed over Sango's face like a sheet. "No. Kohaku," she uttered in absolute desolation holding the body of her slain brother. Inuyasha moved to stand behind her.

"Sango," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Sango broke into fresh sobs as she wailed. "But I didn't even get to say goodbye! I wasn't a good sister. I let him, I let him die Inuyasha. He's gone. He's gone for good. It's all my fault."

Inuyasha looked at her sternly and spoke. "Now listen here missy. You did everything you could. Everything. And now he is at peace. Let him be," he put in softly. "Let him rest at last. I had to do the same for Kikyo."

Sango cried all the more. "I know Inuyasha. It's probably better this way. It's just that... He was.. All I had left. Now I have nothing... and I...don't know why... I should... continue living." Her anguish was very real.

"Shut up," said Inuyasha tersely. "You have Miroku. You have us. We're your friends Sango," he said.

"That's right," said Kagome.

Sango laid her brother down gently. She rose up and grabbed hold of Inuyasha's haori with her fists. She held herself up on his shirt, rolling with sobs. Inuyasha looked shocked as she flooded his shirt with tears. She got blood from Kohaku all over him but he didn't say anything. Instead he let Sango roll onwards until she began to cry herself out. Awkwardly, he raised a hand up and patted her on the head like a small child. "There there Sango," he said before stepping back. At last Sango let go of her deathgrip on his haori.

Sango was still trembling with sobs so Kagome put a reassuring arm around her shoulder. Sango looked around hiccupping.

"I don't get it," she said trying to speak normally. "Why isn't Miroku here? Maybe..." She shook herself out of Kagome's grasp. "Kilala," she called commandingly. The firecat flew up and she leapt onto its back. Kilala ran out into the sky.

"Should we go after her?" said Kagome.

"And leave Kohaku's body?' said Inuyasha wisely. "No. We had better bring him with us." Kagome nodded.

In the sky, Kirara ran swiftly. She darted down and landed beside the hut. She shrank down with a small pop and growled at what she smelled.

"What is it Kilala?" said Sango terrified. She ran forward and tore back the screen to the hut. She screamed out loud at the sight she found.

"Miroku, how could you," she wailed. She raised an arm in front of her face and ran out. Miroku tried to disentangle himself from Sakura. This was it. It was over. And he knew it.


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.

Sango woke up in the night gasping. She had gone to bed, free at last shebelieved from her pain. The sweet bliss of no knowledge, the absence of thought had rolled over her for a moment and then it was shattered unexpectedly by her rambling dreams. Memories spoke out loud and they shook her into consciousness. Sango turned over. A black sea of coldness surrounded her. Her brows knitted up in despair. "Help me!" the warrior moaned, groaning and gritting her teeth against a wave of pain which tightened her chest. She wanted anything to let this a pain go, just to die and be at peace at last, with Kohaku.

Sango stumbled upright. Everything was blurry around her, not so much from the blackness of the night as from the darkness in her soul, the emotional pain that left all unfocused. It clutched her mind and chest with its entirety. Sango swayed upon her feet and tried to look up at the stars, but they were too far away. She reached out a hand, but she could not reach them just as no one was there to reach out a hand to her.

Inuyasha stirred. It was the night after Kohaku had died. He opened his eyes and saw Sango stumbling by the fire, staring into it with a blank gaze akin to the dead. "Sango?" he asked gently with a little concern.

Sango's shoulders tightened. She half-gasped out a rolling sob but instead of letting herself go, she stopped herself with a mighty wrench and fled out into the woods. Not too far away and within Inuyasha's hearing, she let go a torrent of wails screaming out her agony and her unspoken desire to be at the end of all things. She tried to be brave. She tried to pause with her teeth folded on a trembling lip. But the tears kept coming for several hours and the grief never stilled. Instead, her mind was flooded with desperation, with thoughts, memories and regrets which consumed her and tormented her endlessly. Her pain was greater than that of any injury she had ever received in battle. Her brows furrowed in anguish and she bent over to hide her head between her knees, letting her hair drape unnoticed around her like a curtain.

Sango's mind rambled on senselessly. At last it thought back to the fireplace. Miroku. That lecherous monk, that traitor. It was all his fault Kohaku had died. If only he had been there. If only her hadn't betrayed her. Sango shuttered in her rage. A fire lit around her and for a minute she wished for nothing but the monk's destruction. She shivered with anger her weapon in her hand but then she calmed and her gaze shifted instead to its sleek blade. How she wanted to end it.

Yet, as she sat there trying to look at her reflection within the blade reminded her of something. It reminded her of the time Inuyasha had caught her wrist trying to keep her from killing Kohaku and herself. She had fought Inuyasha. She had stabbed him with this sword, thinking him the one who had caused her such pain by killing all the villagers. Instead she was wrong. He had helped to bury all the villagers and Kagome had marked the graves.

"Stop Sango," he had said. He had been there, behind her, supporting her. "Killing Kohaku will accomplish only one thing. It will make Naraku happy." Sango had been confused a the time, but she had decided in the end he was right.

"Sango is it? You bug me any more and I'll drop you off right now." He had spoken in his usual gruff, rude voice yet he spoke it as he was carrying her on his shoulders. She had attacked him while she was wounded, and instead of leaving her there to bled to death as she deserved, she was borne up by his strength. She had woken up with a feeling of warmth and safety, pressed against his back.

"Don't worry," he had said. "We will kill Naraku. " Or, "I'm sorry, we weren't able to stop him." So many phrases which Inuayasha had said flooded though Sango's mind and she was touched by his concern, touched by his loyalty and strong heart.

Sango trembled, and in her grief her repressed emotions came out. Why was she stuck with Miroku? Why had she ended up with the perverted monk? Even the kitsune was better. Suddenly how she had acted long ago while intoxicated at the valley of enchanted mists made sense. Back then, she had grabbed onto Inuyasha and begged him to leave that, "wimpy schoolgirl," and be with her instead. Inuyasha had been horrified and Kagome, also drunk, had sat him practically into a smear. But here again the unbidden emotion came tumbling out.

Kagome was her friend really. She deserved Inuyasha, but why should she keep him all to herself? Sango was confused in her grief. Why did she have to suffer with the bad one, eventually coming to this betrayal instead of having someone like him? Sure, he was bad-tempered and she didn't know what to do with him. But she envied the love Kagome and Inuyasha had for one another with a thirst. If only, in life, someone had loved her like that. If only she could feel such love as they held.

Sango sobbed, still unseeing in her grief. Rational thought was impossible for her, all thought coming to her like an endless sea of churning saltwater. She pulled a small bottle from her shirt with her only ambition to steal, to take that which she was denied though she knew she could never have it. But all sense was rolled away by her irrepressible emotional distress and she poured the contents of the bottle all over herself. It was the cologne, Dark Night's Obsession 22.

Sango waited, unsure of what would happen. Her thoughts began to slow and her heart beat with fear, half afraid he would come and half afraid he wouldn't. She stood up, and in the faint light of the moon stripped off all her clothes.

Inuyasha had been awake at the campfire for the last few hours, listening to her cry. As far as a half-youkai could, he mourned for her loss. "Poor Sango," he muttered. "She always seems to lose everyone doesn't she?" He looked over at Kilala and hoped the firecat would have a long life for Sango's sake. Kilala's hearing was good, so he had thought his vigil might be joined by the two-tail. But it seemed Kilala was tired by the long journey and had way too much catnip before bed. She napped peacefully with the firelight gleaming off her white coat.

Inuyasha got up on his feet and stretched out his back. He cricked his neck from side to side and mussed up his silvery tangled mane. He yawned and opened one golden eye in Sango's direction. The slayer had stopped crying.

"Sango?" asked Inuyasha uncertainly. He had been far happier with her constant wails of grief. He remembered how dangerous she could be to herself. He waited impatiently for a few minutes but when Sango showed no signs of returning, he hopped up in a tree to get a better view.

The moment his feet lighted on the branch, a strange andbeckoning scent met his nose. His eyes began to go out of focus and he shook his head. Then he looked out across the treetopsand sawdozens of male youkai streaming in to attack in one knot above the treetops.

Inuyasha leapt off his branch and bounded through several trees. He jumped down and ran full speed the short distance to Sango. He stopped there to see Sango standing in a pile of dead youkai, the moonlight gleaming off her porcelain skin.

"Sango, what happened," began Inuyasha but as he looked at her Hirakatose which she had demurely placed in front of herself the scent waved itself around him and he was consumed by the fog. His eyes slid fully into blurriness and then became red, a vivid and full red. He sniffed the air with his fangs protruding. The demon before Sango licked his lips and uttered a sensual growl.

Sango watched the transformation. Normally she would have been terrifiedbut now she didn't care. He could tear her into a thousand pieces and end her grief.

But for now, she wanted something more. She let her wide weapon drop, revealing her nakedness in all its reality. She held out her arms wide to either side.

She didn't have to say a word. The demon before her pounced on her and pressed her to the ground. He was rough, cruel. He scratched her. He bruised her. He pressed against her arm until she thought it would snap. She forced himself into her until she was begging him to stop and he slapped her in the face to silence her. He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her back to quiet her sudden reluctance. He raped her until she lay motionless and sticky in her sweat.

The demon before her settled back at last the moonlight pooling over his own celestial skin. He stared at her seated on his haunches, claws ground into the earth. Sango watched as the red began to leek out of the corner of his eyes. She raised herself onto her shoulder and dragged herself to her clothes. "I'm sorry," she said taking a pouch from her personal articles. She drew open a draw-string bag of poison powder and held it in her hand.

The demon growled angrily and ran towards her. Sango threw the powder at him just as he approached with is claws outstretched. He stopped midair, twitching and falling faint.

"I'm sorry," reiterated Sango. She dragged herself onto her feet and stood there swaying, letting the sweat dry. Then she reached over and tugged the clothes on him. It was a tremendous chore. Her every bone ached. Then she stumbled away, leaving her victim behind. She took her clothes with her.

Sango stumbled into a river. It wasn't a deep one and she lay down in the cool water at its bank. She listened to its trickle and in a few moments she passed out from the strain. She fell once more into the bliss of no knowledge, no thought, no dreams but it was not eternal. Hell would await her when she woke.

Inuyasha woke up groggily the next morning. He opened his eyes and wondered why he was sprawled out on the ground. Maybe Kagome had sat him. He remembered nothing of the previous night or how he had passed out except that he had seen Sango by herself out in the night. Without her clothes on. He was extremely puzzled and as he pulled himself off the ground he blanched with fear. His nose was assailed by scent. It was everywhere, on his clothes, on the ground, in his hair, and still in remnants on the air. His stomach turned over sickeningly because he recognized all to well what the stench meant.

"Shit," he said panicking. The hanyou leapt off into the air and fled to the nearest river, ending up several miles upstream of Sango. He buried himself in the water to soak.

Miles downstream, Sango rose. For a while, she too wondered why she was lying there. Then memories of the previous night came flooding back like bits and pieces of a torn tapestry. The enormous weight of what she had done crashed down on her and she sobbed.

There was hell-to-pay in the camp. Both Sango and Inuyasha came back about a day later. Shippo had stuck a finger in Inuyasha's face and said he could tell he had been, "cheating on Kagome."

Miroku (yep still there but highly unpopular) had asked him what he meant and the little youkai had narrowed his eyes. He then announced that Sango smelt like Kagome had when he had gotten her pregnant with Aijo. Inuyasha did not deny it and Kagome had gasped and broken down into tears. It was a terrible moment.

Miroku had stormed off and Kagome began sitting Inuyasha half-determined to sit him to death when Sango had shouted for her to stop. "Stop," she said with tears in her eyes pulling out the empty bottle. "I did it. It was all my fault. I made him do it."

Kagome had stopped the sitting. She stood for a minute in stunned silence and then raged on Sango instead. She balled up her fist and punched her friend.

"How dare you!" she had cried. She shoved Sango and the demon slayer willingly fell over. Kagome pulled on her hair and beat her head with fists and Sango just let her.

"Stop this craziness!" said Inuyasha pulling himself out of the dust to grab hold of Kagome from behind. She turned around and glared at him.

"Sit!" she said leaving him in a good-sized crater.

Sango gathered herself to her feet. "I'm sorry Kagome," she said breaking into sobs. "I'm so sorry." She cried on and on in despair and Kagome wasn't so sure what to do. "I'm so sorry Kagome. It's just that... after Miroku... and Kohaku, I'm so sorry."

"That's okay Sango," said Kagome slightly embarrassed for trying to beat her up.

So in the end, Sango calmed down and promised Kagome when the child was born she could keep it. "It's rightfully yours," she said her lip trembling.

Kagome didn't quite see the logic in that but she looked up at Inuyasha. He nodded his head but didn't say a word. Sango collapsed at his feet.

"I'm sorry, so sorry," she had said with tears like blood. Inuyasha tried to ignore her but then when she wouldn't go away he ran off to climb a tree. After a tense hour or so of waiting for him to come down, he finally looked Sango in the face.

"Sango," he said sternly. "We have fought together side by side for a long time. Let's not let this ruin that." Sango had nodded her face streaked with tears. They avoided each other all afternoon and in the late evening, Miroku showed up terribly drunk. He passed out and Inuyasha kicked him. "This is all your fault lecher," he said scathingly.

So their journey continued. Their friendships were screwed up. Their "marriages" were in rags or completely decimated. Their fighting suffered but still they carried on searching for Mouryoumaru. He held the entire sacred jewel in his hand, and their quest was not complete. Why Miroku stuck around was anyone's guess. Sango stayed because she was in pup and wanted revenge. Inuyasha and Kagome, well, they were stuck with each other and still in love with each other but they were severely strained and their precious mark began to fade, unrenewed. It was a terrible situation. But as fate had ruined their lives forever, fate would eventually heal them. A few weeks passed.


	37. Chapter 37

Don't own Inuyasha.

Kagome wandered out into the fields wiping the tears from her eyes. The world seemed blurred from both the tears and her anguish so that she stumbled along not knowing where she was going nor caring. Finally, she tumbled down into a rut which was a road leading into rice paddies. She followed the trace trying to compose herself by looking at the geometric order, the swaying leaves of neatly planted rice, the ripples leading across blackish square pools. She sighed and wiped her eyes as she came to a major road outside a town and a large bridge across the canal.

"Hello lady," called a very young kid dragging a kite. He looked at her tear-streaked face rudely but without malice.

"Hello," said Kagome doing her best to smile. "What are you doing out here?"

"Sh," said the boy. "I'm sneaking away to play. Don't tell anyone okay?" He ran off clanking across the wood planks of the bridge.

Kagome started to follow after him but then on the other side of the bridge four other kids joined him. Kagome smiled and decided to let him be. He should be safe enough with the others to look out for him, she thought.

She sighed and leaned her arms on the bridge railing. Fish swum lazily in the water below. The canal was moving sluggishly but was still very deep.

"I can't believe it," Kagome spoke out loud. Her own words rang in her ears. It made her feelings seem all the more true.

"Why," she thought to herself. "Why would Sango do this to me, to us? I thought she was my best friend. I trusted her." The tears streamed anew down her face and she let them fall, plinking one by one into the water.

"I feel so betrayed. She hurt Inuyasha not just me. But I can understand why she did it, in a way. Miroku betrayed her. Kohaku is dead. I guess she just sorta flipped out. She seemed so changed after Kohaku. After all, she already lost everybody else."

She was standing there with her arms on the railing sobbing when suddenly something thrust itself out of the water and dragged her down. Kagome struggled to hold her breath as tendrils dragged her underwater and she looked down to see a demon with pronounced fangs protruding from its upper jaw. It had light blue hair and a ghostly yet fish-like visage. Its tattered garments drifted about caught in the current. It lifted a hand and formed a bluish-white orb like fire. The demon blew on the flame in his hand and it flew at Kagome sinking into her chest. She fainted.

Kagome woke up curled in a little glowing ball. There were many other balls strung up all around her on a cave ceiling. She pushed her hands against the entrapment but it would not give. She gave up and peered all around her.

"I hope this is a dream," Kagome said with apprehension in her voice. "I know. I'll pinch myself. Wait a minute. I didn't feel anything. This must be a dream."

"I'm afraid it's no dream," said a voice from beside her. It was a young monk trapped in yet another glowing orb. "Look down there."

Kagome looked and saw her body spun in a web on the cave floor. There were many other bodies besides.

"Is that me?" she queried.

"Yes," said the young monk. "That demon captures unwary travelers and separates their soul from their body. By imprisoning their soul, he keeps their body in a state like to death. From time to time, he eats one of us."

"That's terrible," said Kagome sympathetically.

"Yes," said the young monk. "It has already devoured one of my companions."

"Is there any way out?" said Kagome.

"Yes. There might be," said the monk. "You are a priestess, are you not?"

"Yes," said Kagome simply.

"Then you must heed me if you wish to live. Try to take this piece of paper," he said holding up a scroll. "If we both concentrate our energies on getting through this barrier we may be able to manage it.. I haven't been able to do it on my own."

"Right," said Kagome holding out a hand. "By the way, my name's Kagome. Who are you?"

"My name is Chuban," said the young monk.

Kagome focused her attention on thrusting her hand through the barrier to reach the piece of paper. The wall crackled fiercely and lit up. Kagome refused to give up even though it was stinging her. She kept one eye open and burst her hand out to clench the paper. As soon as she did, she sucked out of the little orb and levitated in the air like a fairy without wings.

"Wow," said Kagome. "Now what do I do?"

"Return to your body priestess," said the monk in earnest. "Use your arrow to destroy the beast."

"All right," said Kagome flying down. She was very tiny but as she landed beside her body she popped into life size proportions.

"Hello, earth to Kagome," she said waving her ghostly hand in front of her face.

"You have to renter it," said the monk.

"Right," said Kagome. She hopped right in and her body began to glow. Immediately, he eyes shuttered open. Kagome tried to tear herself free from the web and succeeded.

"Chuban," she called up to the ceiling but there was no answer. She shouldered her quiver of arrows and took one out. There was a blur behind her and the demon casually took the arrow from her fingers.

"Going somewhere priestess?" he asked smoothly.

"You," said Kagome angrily.

"Yes," said the aristocratic demon snapping the arrow in two. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to go anywhere. You see, while I don't eat humans myself, I do have use for a priestess's power. I also have many servants that do savor the taste of human flesh."

"You were Chuban, weren't you?" said Kagome angrily.

"Yes," said the demon icily. "It was a test to see if you had any power. You indeed do. I will be sure to consume that power." He placed his claws under her chin forcing her to look up.

"Not this again," thought Kagome.

"You see priestess," said the demon. "I am a demon born out of human despair. Those who drowned themselves in rivers all led to my creation. So I seek to take back that which was denied by becoming more powerful."

"So you prey on travelers?" said Kagome eyes flashing.

"Yes. The happier and more smug the better. Although tears call out to me too. The more sorrow I intake, the stronger I become." The demon wrapped his fingers around her neck. "I'm doing you a favor priestess. Let me take your soul."

"No!" cried out Kagome. She sent out a fierce crackling of spiritual energy which burned the demon. He backed up and looked at his smoking hand. Kagome ran for it down the cave. She came to a wall of water behind a demonic barrier

"No way out priestess," said the demon. "You'll drown." He formed another blue orb of light in his hand. He threw it at her.

"No!" thought Kagome as her soul started to separate again. Her eyes began to go blank. But this time the orb shattered as it came out and the ghost Kagome used her shoulder to shove her body out the barrier. She floated up defiantly.

"I am Kagome Higurashi," said Kagome fiercely. "I have things to do. True I've been deceived, but I'm not afraid of going forward."

Unimpressed, the demon snapped his fingers and Kagome found herself being chased by soul collectors, really huge ones.

"Uh oh," she said scooting. She flew out of the cave and through the water, into the sky and all over. At last she hid behind a rock and they couldn't find her. She waited until they floated on.

"Finally," she said coming out. "Now to find Inuyasha and Shippo. I hope there's something we can do about this." She looked at her see-through fingers.


	38. Chapter 38

Still don't Inuyasha.

It was getting near to dinnertime and Aijo was wailing. "Damn it," said Inuyasha the flailing child screaming in his arms. "Where's Kagome?"

"I don't know," said Shippo with fingers in his ears. "Shouldn't she be back by now?"

"Yeah," said Inuyasha. He lifted the screaming child onto his shoulder and walked out the door. Miroku and Sango were still sat in opposite corners lost to the world. When Inuyasha left, they got up to follow.

Mercifully, Aijo quieted down while they were walking. Inuyasha passed him off to Shippo so he could sniff the ground and the two sat in the dirt making sandcastles. Shippo took Aijo by the hand and helped him stand up. "Inuyasha, wait up," he called. Inuyasha came back and tucked the two into his arms.

"Come on," he said. "She went that way."

They all walked on following her trail across the fields and out to the rice paddies. When they came to the bridge however the scent simply ran out. Inuyasha sniffed around running back and forth but the odor simply disappeared towards the middle of the bridge. He was very confused. Did she fall off? There was no scent from the demon on the bridge since he had snatched her with air-borne tendrils.

As if on schedule, the little boy with his kite came tromping back across the bridge. It looked like he had broken it, but he was smiling and dirty. Inuyasha stopped him midway.

"Hey, you see a woman pass this way?" Inuyasha asked him. The boy stopped and looked up at him as if it was a difficult question.

"Well, I did see one person today," the boy said. "She was crying."

"What did she look like?" Inuyasha asked him.

"She had a really short kimono. The top was white but the bottom was green. She was funny looking, but she was really nice."

"Where did you see her?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

"On this bridge. She was standing on the middle crying. The other boys all said she was gonna jump but I hope not 'cause she was a really nice lady."

Inuyasha blanched at the thought. "Is that the last you saw of her today?" he said firmly.

"Yep," said the boy running off. He looked back once and disappeared.

"Inuyasha," said Miroku quietly. "We should look..."

"There's no way Kagome would do that sort of thing," said Inuyasha aggressively.

"I didn't say anything," said Miroku. "Still, she has been melancholy of late. I believe recent events have taken a toll on her spirits."

"Yeah, well she's been as moody as hell," Inuyasha agreed. "But something's not right here. I bet some demon has to do with this. Probably got herself kidnaped again." He sniffed the air resolutely.

Perhaps," said Miroku with his staff crossed in front of him. "I will walk down river. Sango."

Sango still hadn't said anything. "I'll search too," she said very quietly.

"Good," said Miroku coldly. "We'll let you know if we find anything Inuyasha."

Kilala and Sango took off in one direction, Miroku in another. Inuyasha sat there with Aijo and Shippo before deciding to try the town.

Sango flew up in the air higher and higher so she could see a good deal of the river. She didn't even have to look for a minute before spotting something on a sandbar. With her heart drumming in terror, she bid Kilala to decent and landed next to Kagome's soulless body. Kagome was still out floating around somewhere, so there was no breath or pulse.

"Kagome," trembled out Sango as she stated to weep. "Forgive me." She held onto her friend's lifeless arm sobbing uncontrollably.

In time, Inuyasha and Miroku met up at the bridge. They wandered downstream and found Sango still weeping and clutching Kagome's arm. Inuyasha just stood there not believing what he was seeing. Miroku leaned down with a frown to see if he could detect a soul. He couldn't it. Sango shuttered away from him and moved off as if she was the dirtiest thing in the world.

"She's gone," Miroku said quietly.

"No," said Inuyasha stubbornly. "She's not. Kagome would never do such a thing." He left Aijo with Shippo and sloshed out into the water Kagome was laid out in, hair drifting gently. He picked her up into his arms and shook her.

"Kagome," he whined. "No. She would nev..."

"Damn it Inuyasha, she's gone," shouted Miroku angrily. "There is no soul in her." Inuyasha stared at him shocked by his uncharacteristic outburst. He stood up carrying Kagome's body with him.

"Shippo, Aijo," he said loud and clear. "Come on."

Kagome floated down from the sky and saw them carrying her. "Oh great," she said happily. "They've found my body. I just have to..." She petered off when she heard arguing.

"She's gone Inuyasha. There's no soul in her. I know you don't think so but she's been miserable after what Sango did. It just might be conceivable that..."

"She's not dead Miroku," said Inuyasha stubbornly. "There's no smell of death on her." Miroku quieted down for a bit.

"That is indeed curious."

"Yeah, so shut up about it. It's got to be some demon. I know Kagome and I'm certain she's not the one at fault here. And you can stop putting the blame on Sango too."

Kagome had heard enough of that conversation almost from the start so she drifted down into her body while they were still arguing. Nobody seemed to notice her drift by but maybe they couldn't see her. She was a ghost after all. She settled in and opened her eyes just as Inuyasha finished talking. Inuyasha ripped his head around at her sudden movement. "Kagome," he gasped in surprise.

"Hi," she said weakly. She coughed and spit up some water

"Kagome what happened to you?" said Inuyasha setting her gently against his knee. He pushed locks of her hair back from her face as he looked into her eyes.

"Demon," she uttered. "Inuyasha, we have to go back. There are others trapped down there."

"Where?" he said quickly.

"Underwater, in a cavern," said Kagome resting her head against his shoulder. "He took me while I was standing on the bridge."

"You hear that?" said Inuyasha sternly. Everyone nodded. Miroku and Sango split up to go searching but Inuyasha sat down on the ground with Kagome.

"Aijo needs feeding," he said kissing her forehead. Kagome nodded. Shippo handed Aijo back to her and they sat there quietly as a family before running to catch up. They met up with Sango and Miroku at the bridge.

Inuyasha walked to the bank and sniffed the surface of the water. He closed his eyes but still it was difficult to find any scent so he rolled up his sleeves and dove right in.

"Do you see anything?" Kagome shouted to him.

""No," said Inuyasha heavy with wet locks. He dove again and resurfaced.

"Try over there," sad Kagome pointing to the opposite bank. Inuyasha dove and this time found a blue glowing wall of demonic energy. He came up for air and shook himself dry.

"It's down there," said Inuyasha with certainty. "Better get ready Miroku because you're getting wet."

"Wait!" said Kagome.

"Yeah, what is it?" asked Inuyasha.

"If you break the barrier the cave will fill up with water."

"Yeah, that's true."

"I was able to enter somehow with the barrier intact. Let's just go through it."

They had to agree that Kagome was right. "But once the demon is dead," said Miroku, "the barrier will break and the spirits will reunite with their bodies."

"Which means we have to get them out of there before," said Kagome glad they understood her.

"Leave that to me," said Sango quietly. Kilala rubbed her head against her volunteering to help.

Everyone was quiet, letting silence be their agreement. Coldness hung in the air. But then they all rolled up their sleeves and prepared to do battle. Inuyasha took Kagome in his arms and grabbed onto Kilala's tail. Miroku likewise held on and Sango climbed into her customary spot. At least Kilala hadn't blamed her. Then the firecat leapt down into the water, using her great strength and speed to drag them down to the entrance of the cave.

They burst into the cave entrance like a bunch of beached fish. Kagome and Miroku sputtered while Inuyasha drew his sword. Sango and Kilala snuck off to rescue people.

The demon was greatly surprised to see a bunch of people flooding his cave. But his thoughts that this might be a good thing were turned upside-down when Inuyasha started attacking him. He merely tossed him to the ground and pointed a sword to his throat. Sango and Kilala ferried about fifteen people out of the cave. Then when the cave was empty Inuyasha letthe demongo. Miroku finished it off with a swack of his staff. They all ate dinner quietly that night. It was always quiet.


	39. Chapter 39

A month passed. Kagome pulled out a hand mirror from her backpack early in the morning and held it up to her neck. She pushed back her hair to see it better. It was so faint. The mark Inuyasha had put on her was barely there anymore and she fingered it gently. It was so obscure she thought its presence might be the shadow of her imagination.

Kagome stood up sighing in the early morning dawn. She looked around and spotted Inuyasha watching her, his back against a tree.

"Kagome," he said trying to get her attention. She ignored him and turned her head.

Kagome had been doing this practically every morning now for a week and Inuyasha couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up and stomped over to her. He grabbed her wrists and forced her to look at him. "Kagome," he said. "What's up?"

Kagome felt sick in his grasp. So unclean, so unwhole. It had nothing to do with him being a half demon. No, it was because there had been that OTHER woman even though she didn't blame her anymore. Inuyasha sensed her tremor and let go.

"So you hate me do you?" he said quietly.

"I didn't say that," Kagome countered.

"Btu you hate me," pressed Inuyasha. "Don't you?"

Slowly, Kagome shook her head yes once and then no. Inuyasha stormed off as Sango came over with some snacks Kagome had packed.

"Er, breakfast?" she said awkwardly.

"Thanks Sango," said Kagome taking a cracker spread with apricot jam. She munched on it agitatedly and dropped her gaze quickly down at Sango's spreading center. She darted her gaze up again to see Sango's flush.

"Sorry," said the warrior again.

"You've said that a million times," said Kagome half-meaning it. "Don't worry about it any more."

Sango nodded and set down the plate. She wandered off with a plump belly. Kagome decided to go strolling too but outside of camp. There was a village not too far off and she decided to go to it. Before she had gone more than five meters down the path though, she heard a sudden voice.

"Wandering off by yourself again?" said Inuyasha speaking from a tree. Kagome whirled around.

"Damn it Inuyasha, it's my business where I go to."

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. "You swearing Kagome? And for your information it is my business where you are going. Where MY WIFE is going. I don't want you to get killed just because you're too stupid not to take someone with you."

Kagome balled her hands into fists. "OHYEAH!" she yelled up into the tree letting it all out. "And maybe it's MY BUSINESS where MY HUSBAND goes fucking it up with another woman."

Inuyasha leapt down from his tree and stood in front of her. He advanced, pushing her back against the trunk. Forcefully, he kissed her.

Kagome shoved at him. "Inuyasha," she said hostilely. "You let me go right now or you'll regret it."

"Then do it," said Inuyasha lifting up one of her hands and settling it on his heart. "Because I sure as hell can't stand you not loving me anymore."

Kagome sucked in her breath. Tears leaked out her eyes. "It's not that I don't love you anymore," she said her voice breaking. "It's that I loved you too much." She began to cry and let her head drape down to his chest.

"Never too much, mate," he said softly fondling her hair. He pulled her against him and into his arms as he had longed to for so long..

Kagome cried softly. "Why did this happen to us Inuyasha?" she asked him. "To us?" He had no answers and he stood there quietly. He began to massage her neck and pushed back her hair. Kagome stepped out of his arms angrily.

"No," she said her eyes flashing anew.

"Kagome, but I..."

"No," said Kagome firmly. She went back to the campsite and ignored him all day. But when he wasn't looking, she lifted up a hand to her lips. Her tears flooded anew.

They had avoided returning to Kaede's village for as long as possible, for obvious reasons. But since they were out of supplies for Aijo and low on snacks, they determined to "sneak by". They ended up telling Kaede everything. She had asked a simple question about it being Miroku's child and then everyone had pointed fingers at one another. The old woman had to lay down for an hour with a wetclothe to her head. "Thank goodness Kikyou be not here," she groaned.

Inuyasha and Kagome then shot down the well determined not to say anything. They didn't. They refused to answer all questions about anything and sat around dinner with thoughtful eyes. Souta thought they had a fight and he was not that far off from the truth.

Inuyasha and Kagome sat up in their room not saying much. Then they went outside to the courtyard and did exactly the same thing. They even sat beneath Goshinoboku (the sacred tree) and felt a little better. But it wasn't enough.

So they returned to the woods without any thought and wandered around. Kagome stumbled forward and found herself down a trek she recognized. She saw an old temple with a collapsed wall.

"Wait a minute," she said walking over the collapsed rubble. "This is where we had our first battle. This is where... you first saved me."

"Bah," said Inuyasha. "We had our first battle beneath Goshinoboku remember?"

"Yeah against each other," said Kagome hotly before returning to her revery. "But this is where we first fought as one." Inuyasha watched her profile silently. What was she thinking?

Kagome looked around and was reminded of something. She reached a hand back to her quiver and Inuyasha got nervous. But then she dropped her hand and laughed.

"Remember Inuyasha?" said Kagome. "That was the day of my first archery lesson." They walked along thinking.

"Yeah, well you're a hell of a lot better now."

"You called me girl remember? Or you. You, you, you." She laughed.

Inuyasha stopped. He took her chin into his hands. "You," he said quietly. He searched her eyes and when she dropped them he dropped his hand.

"It was the first day for a lot of things," said Inuyasha quietly.

"Like what?" said Kagome.

"Like the first time you rode my back. Kik... well nobody had ever done that." Kagome smiled.

"No one else has? Not even," her lips twitched.

"I'd like to say she hasn't," said Inuyasha looking away. "But she did remember? On the first day we met her. WE met her. You were there with her. She was so injured you told me to help and I couldn't help but do it too," he wandered off into quietness.

They had walked far out afield. They came to an abandoned hut in the wood, probably having something to do with the shrine just as a sudden afternoon rain sprung up. They rushed inside and continued to talk. Kagome pushed back he slightly sodden hair.

"We should be getting back you know. It's getting late and Aijo..."

"Let him wait," said Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome.

"I mean it Kagome," he said. "Right now this is more important to him. To us. How do you think he'd feel if he had parents who couldn't stand one another?"

Kagome bit her lip. "Inuyasha, I..."

"Spit it out Kagome," he said. "You what?" Her eyes flashed once more.

"I was enjoying myself. Now I'm forced to remember what a boorish, foolish, CHEATING individual you are."

"You're wrong," he said hotly catching her around the waist. "I gave up on Kikyo because of you. And you know, you know, I never meant for this to happen."

"I know Inuyasha," said Kagome uncertainly.

"Then forgive me," he said. Thundered rumbled and rain drolled on the roof. Kagome looked at him as he held her in his arms.

Inuyasha took in her silence and pushed back the hair on her neck. Kagome darted up a hand. "Ah ha!" she said angrily. "You're just trying to mark me again Inuyasha! You're just trying to woe me so you can say that I am yours!"

"It's nothing like that!" snarled Inuyasha. "If you just let me bite you you'd know... how much you mean to me. I can't stand being without you Kagome. I can't stand the separation."

"Why?" she snapped. "Because no one else is willing to throw themselves away on you three days a week?" They glared into each other's eyes and Inuyasha spoke slowly.

"It isn't like that. I... love you Kagome. You know that. Or at least you used to. How many times have I nearly gotten myself killed for you? Do you doubt I'd do that now?" Kagome searched his eyes looking for sincerity.

"I'm an inu-youkai," said Inuyasha softly, "and a man. For me love is forever. You will always be my mate."

Kagome rubbed some tears out of her eyes. "Good news for you Inuyasha because you picked a good one."

"Does that mean you'll let me mark you?"

"Maybe," she said. "In a while. I have to think about it." He snorted in frustration.

But when they got back from their "time off" Kagome's old emotions resurfaced. The moment she saw Sango and Miroku lounging about sending vengeful glances at each other, she stiffened up with rage too. She could not forgive him. Not yet. He had to prove it first.

So they went about their way and Inuyasha was shocked by Kagome's cold behavior towards him. He had thought they had been through all this. But what he didn't realize is that a woman takes three more times investment to soothe than to woe. So as Kagome stalked off his ire only grew and he thought to himself maybe he was better off stuck on that tree or stuffing her down the well and boarding it up.

They journeyed on, saying that after this week they would settle down for Sango's sake and in anticipation of winter. They spent some uneventful days doing extermination work. It was ironic really. They went out slaying demons and here they were breeding them. Some of their quarry said as much. Sango felt the insults keenly.

They were staying at an empty house in a small village for which they had done work. As usual, that evening Sango and Miroku wandered away, one to sulk and the other to cry. Shippo watched over Sango at Kagome's request and that left only Kagome, Inuyasha, and Aijo. Kagome settled the sleeping child in his basinet. It was one of those things they crammed into those huge bags. She tickled Aijo's toes and turned around to find Inuyasha standing next to her. He slid his hands around her waist. "Time's up," he said. "What's your answer, yes or no?"

Kagome trembled. "Yes," she said uncertainly. He flicked back her hair and without hesitation sunk his teeth into the side of her neck to mark her.

Kagome swirled about lost in a sea of emotion. There was passion, desire, sadness and longing. A touch of nostalgia. She trembled and when he released her, her lips found their way to his. She sucked against him, caught up in their joint emotion but then pushed away. Inuyasha didn't want to let her go. Her held onto her wrist as she tried to walk away.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"Away," said Kagome half-angrily but also feeling childish. She shook her hand free.

"Come on, Kagome," said Inuyasha angrily. "We haven't made love for a long time. Ever since that happened, you haven't' been able to forgive me have you? Take back what is yours! I belonged to you long before. I will always belong to you."" He looked at her in deep frustration. The pain in his eyes was obvious.

"I'm out of birth control pills," Kagome lied turning her head.

"Than put up with having another child! I'll give you as many as you want, a hundred to make it up to you! Please Kagome." He whined anxiously at the back of his throat, ears laid back. Kagome dared to look around at him.

"I need you Kagome," said Inuyasha boldly. "Don't turn me away. I need you."

The distance Kagome had put between them seemed to break. She shuttered with relief as gallons of concern washed from her shoulders. Lonely and longing for her mate, Kagome reached out towards him. He caught her and clasped her in is arms.

"I need you," reiterated Inuyasha. He whispered it in her ear.

Warning: lemon

"I need you too, Inuyasha," said Kagome tears running from her eyes. She clutched onto his shirt, holding herself up with its support. Inuyasha unwound the belt from around his waist and let his pants slide. He pulled down her panties and let them fall to her ankles. Hungrily, he pulled her up against him and began to thrust into her.

Unable to balance properly, Kagome leaned back against a wall. There, she could brace herself against Inuyasha's onslaught. Kisses raked against her lips, hot kisses, and she stretched out her arms above her. Inuyasha entwined his fingers with hers up against the wall and continued to kiss her. Half-crushed with his attentions, Kagome gasped. He eased off and let her tumble forward into his arms.

"Shall we continue elsewhere?" said Inuyasha already satiated.

"Yes," said Kagome trembling for more. "On the floor." Inuyasha smiled.

"All right mate," he said. "I owe you a proper den, or at least a hut don't I"

"The babies will be needing one," said Kagome crossly.

When Sango and Miroku came in that evening, they were shocked to find Kagome sitting in Inuyasha's lap. They were nuzzling each other like nothing bad had ever happened to them.

Some of Sango's guilt lifted form her shoulders. She had been certain she had killed their loving relationship but here it was, staring her back in the face. Sango snuck off. She stroked her belly. "When you come, we're going to make it right," she whispered.


	40. Chapter 40

Months passed and it was the dead of winter. A chill wind was blowing and Kagome shut the door swiftly behind her. She tiptoed in and kissed Inuyasha on the cheek.

"Where were you?" he said frowning.

"Out using a tree," she said.

"Not mine," he said.

"Maybe," Kagome teased. He grimaced and decided to catch her and kiss her for punishment. When they were done Kagome looked around their little hut. It was filled with modern things of course.

"How's Sango?" asked Inuyasha softly.

"Along," said Kagome slightly sourly. "But I'm catching up with her." She tapped her belly and Inuyasha stroked it.

"I love you mate," he said kissing her and dropping his ear to listen.

Kagome scowled as a feisty pup kicked within the womb. "I'm worried about Sango though," she said. "She's awfully pale. I don't think she's been taking care of herself very well."

"She's been through a lot," said Inuyasha quietly.

"Yeah."

They both became quiet and just sat there curled against each other. Aijo played with his toys in the corner of the room.

"Do you think we should go after Mouryoumaru?" Kagome asked him.

"Eventually," he said. "But right now our group is too screwed up to fight and Aijo is too young. I'd like it much better if we could leave him behind where it's safe."

"I don't want to leave him behind," said Kagome looking at her treasure.

"I know," he said.

So much had happened between the members of their little group. Miroku was perpetually lurking around, drinking more often than not. Sango was dismal, aloft. She looked like the winter they were currently in instead of the proud slayer they once knew. Kagome sighed and leant her head on Inuyasha's neck.

"I wish we had thrown away the perfume." Inuyasha scoffed.

"We tried remember? Don't blame yourself."

"Thank you Inuyasha," she said.

Shippo came banging into the room. He dusted off some clumps of snow and panted. "Sango... Kaede says it's time." They both perked up their ears.

"You should be there," said Kagome regretfully her hands in his.

"Not without you," he breathed. "You will be its mother soon remember? Then Sango can go on with her life."

Kagome bit her lip. Somehow it felt...wrong. But she went along with it. They waded out in the snow together to face what for a long time had been their greatest fear.

Sango's daughter was born in the mid of winter. She named her Taihen, meaning hard or difficult. They didn't need to ask her about the name. It was a statement on her life.

Miroku was no where to be seen. Taihen was wrapped up in blankets and handed to her father. Inuyasha stared down into golden eyes. A black-and-white mottled ear poked out of the blanket. He lifted the cover anxiously and saw two perfect puppy dog ears. Kagome clapped a hand to her mouth.

So this was their future. Kagome looked at Sango curiously. She looked wane, without a sign of joy or laughter. There was only sorrow. She saw Kagome looking and spoke barely above a whisper.

"She's yours now Kagome," she said. "I can never make up for what I have done but please," her lip trembled, " be good to Taihen."

"I can't take your child," said Kagome flushed with guilt. She was a mother herself and knew all too well what they meant to a mother, the most precious thing that ever could be.

"You must," said Sango softly. "For her sake." Kagome nodded.

"Do you still have milk?" Sango asked with practicality. Kagome nodded again and Sango leaned back resting.

They left the hut of sorrow quietly. They crunched through the snow, the infant tucked beneath Inuyasha's robes to keep it warm. Then they arrived in the house where Shippo and a chattering Aijo were stacking blocks.

"Shippo, Aijo," said Kagome leaning down her voice trembling in anxiety. "You have a new baby sister."

Kaede felt badly for them all. She opened her new door (they had replaced it finally) and trudged out to a storehouse to get some dried herbs for Sango. She stopped and talked to some villagers on the way. She wondered, sadly, how much longer the slayer had to live.


	41. Chapter 41

Several years passed and Sango recovered in health but never in spirit. They started journeying again since Aijo had begun to run around by himself. They roped Hodgi into being their perpetual servant. Miroku was still around but was acting quite secluded. After brief argument, Sango was given the task of porting Taihen to and fro. Kagome had her own little bundle of joy to take car of now, a second son to Inuyasha.

The air was quite tense however. For the last few years they had largely ignored each other. When they all came together again for their strange reunion, it was to find each other changed. They were more mature, more bitter, or more sorrowed.

Still, Kagome tried to make cheerful conversation. Aijo ran around seemingly oblivious to anything poking the "drunkard" Miroku with the flat blade of a sword. He was quite the little fighter. He looked curiously up at his little sister and little brother and ran around with Shippo. The young fox was giving him "training" so they could be just like their father. Kagome worried about that. She didn't want a reckless son too.

It was strange seeing Sango in her demonslayer's outfit again. It was even stranger for her it seemed. Kagome and Shippo watched as she fiddled with the lacing with trembling fingers.

"What's the matter Sango?" said Kagome sympathetically.

"Nothing," she said. She had stood up and gone out the door before them.

Yet Sango remained quiet. In battle she spouted few words. At the campsite and as they traveled, she spoke even less, giving off only the occasional, hurried request. She even tried to ignore conversations about Taihen.

One day as they wandered deep in the mountains Sango wandered off. After kissing Taihen gently on the head, she snuck up to a cliff side where she could see all the surrounding country. It seemed a good place to die.

Sango drew out her sword and looked into the steel gleam of her blade. "I don't even deserve a warrior's death," she said resheathing it. She walked up to the edge of the cliff and let the wind blow out her hair. She stretched out her wrists to the air and walked forward, leaning, tilting, falling free at last. Tears flowed out of the corners of Sango's eyes. "Goodbye," she said anticipating the ground.

"Sango," cried out a desperate voice. Miroku raced through the air on the firecat's sure feet. He reached Sango midfall and caught her from the air. He dragged her up to the top of the cliff again and threw her on the ground.

"What was that for?" he raged with concern, confusion, and hurt pride.

"What for," said Sango beginning to shake. "What for!" She screamed with rage. Kilala transformed back into a tiny thing with a pop, leaving Miroku all on his own. Sango was her mistress after all.

Miroku stood there unflinchingly while Sango stood up and paced towards him and looked him in the eye.

"Do you know why, Miroku? Why I cheated with Inuyasha? Why I took advantage of him? It was because of you. It was because of you!" she said screaming in his face. For the first time in a long time, Miroku looked ready to listen.

"How do you think it made me feel Houshi-doma? You were supposed to be mine but you never had enough of other women. And then you were with her. With HER. Why? Why wasn't I good enough for you?" Sango screamed the last sentence loud enough to shatter any ear.

"I wanted to make you jealous. I KNEW it was wrong. But more than anything I wanted to make you pay. To make you regret what you were missing out on. But I was never good enough for you. What you wanted wasn't me. I saw that clearly when I found you with her. You never loved me at all. I have nothing worth living for." Tears coursed down Sango's careworn face. She turned away with regret.

"I understand," said Miroku looking at his fist more subdued. "But I can't forget that you cheated..."

"Cheated!" screeched Sango. "You've cheated on me every day that I've known you! You're a no-good pervert Miroku! I tried to be patient, I tried," she sobbed terrifically. Miroku watched her shoulders wrench and then was surprised as she looked back up at him with a look of utter hatred. Sango advanced on him. Miroku took a step back and was struck hard against the face.

"Why wasn't I good enough?" repeated Sango. "Why didn't you want me as much as them?" Miroku backed up but she followed after until she closed the distance between them. Wildly, Sango pressed her lips and against his and pulled on the collar of his robes. "Do I have to prove it to you?" she hissed. Miroku watched the tears stream down her face as she backed away.

"Sango," he said softly after a great elapse of time. "You are...still... you are right. You did make me angry. I was jealous. But I guess I brought this upon myself. Upon both of us," he laughed bitterly. "Forgive me Sango," he seemed to end. But then he continued on.

"I... still can not go without you Sango. This is why this has been especially hard. For you... to belong to another is unbearable. The one I love is only you. I know you may not believe me now. I don't expect you to. But I don't want you to go away. I'm desperate that should never happen. I... will do anything to keep you in this world." With that, he closed the distance between them and wrapped Sango in his hold, kissing her. Sango stood absolutely quiet.

"I don't believe you," she murmured.

"Do I have to prove it to you?" he mimicked. Sango nodded and Miroku drew her closer to him. "Then I shall."

He reached up to his shoulder and undid the ties on his robe. He lunged forward and pressed Sango flat against the ground. She remained motionless.

"I'm not asking you anymore," he said viciously. "You will bear my child. No one else will." Tears continued to flow from Sango's eyes but she made no fuss as he stripped her of her clothing.

"Do you really want me, after all that I've done?" spoke Sango.

"It was the only way I would listen," said Miroku dismissively. "But never do that again. You are mine," he said with shocking ferocity. "You are my woman," he said more softly. He wasted no time. Sango said no words against it. Instead, she let her hands speak, caressing Miroku's skin with a hunger. Even after he began to rise, she dragged him down again. "More," she said desperate for attention. Miroku gave her all she wanted. It was very late when they were done.

"Do you want to go back to the others?" asked Miroku.

"No," Sango said. "Sent Kilala. They'll understand." They camped out on the cliff side overnight, huddling together and reestablishing their love through little things, some sweet, some naughty.

"You are a very wild woman after all," said Miroku moaning. Sango didn't look up from where she was kissing him. "Are you sure you aren't a demon?" he asked.

"No," said Sango licking her lips. She was refusing to give him back his loincloth.

In the morning Inuyasha could smell it all over them. He was glad for them. He was also relieved. There was no way to change the past. There had been consequences and they would have to live with them. But now, the hope for the future which had been all but extinguished had relit itself. Their friendships had a chance now. So did their marriages.


	42. Chapter 42

Inuyasha and Miroku were arguing by the fire again. The women hung their heads in shame, holding their children. "Cut it out!" shouted Shippo angrily only to be ignored.

"It's been like this a lot," said Kagome biting back her frustration. Everything had been so tense lately. The air hung with a constant feeling of mistrust.

"I'm sorry," Sango said again. She repeated that phrase morning and night every hour of the day and it was driving Kagome crazy.

"Shh!" she hissed.

Ahead of them up the mountain path, a dense mist rolled. Within it, a small youkai reminiscent of Kanna but with color shook a mirror whose face was made of ice. "They are divided by their hatred," she mouthed. "They can be destroyed." She got up on her tiny feet and began walking somewhere her mirror held out in front of her.

Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, and Kagome stopped at a small village teetered on steep slopes. They sat in a small kabob house eating lunch. The proprietor came over and smiled at them. "Enjoying your meal?" Everyone politely shook their head. "Good," she said. "Are you going further up this way?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact madame, we are," said Miroku smiling. He had recovered and was much his old self, with less but-stroking.

"Ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you young man," said the proprietor. Inuyasha swigged a can of cola.

"There is a terrible youkai wandering this mountain," said the shop owner. "It devours travelers who try to pass this way."

Miroku smiled. "We can handle it madame," he said. "We are professional demon exterminators. It is our duty."

The woman frowned. "But you have so many children with you."

"Bah," said Inuyasha slamming down his drink. "Aijo can handle himself. Can't you Aijo?"

"Yes father," said the boy climbing onto his father's lap to steal his last kabob stick. Aijo stuck it in his mouth and crunched happily. "I can take on, uh, nearly anybody with my sword," he said through a mouthful.

Inuyasha frowned. "I think you're confusing yourself with me squirt," he said. "Remember what we told you, in case we ever find Mouryoumaru or a really powerful youkai?"

"Yup," said Aijo licking his fingers happily.

When the woman went away, Kagome leant over to Inuyasha. "She is right though," said Kagome. "We have three, no four kids and Sango has another on the way."

"Bah," said Inuyasha. "How's Aijo ever going to learn to fight if he doesn't move around a bit? Besides, if anything serious happens, that's what Hodji's for."

"Instant ferry huh?" said Kagome.

"Exactly," said Inuyasha. They looked over at the racoon-dog who was looking miserable and very odd as a rumply old woman with a tail.

"I agree with you though," said Inuyasha surprising Kagome. "Sango isn't going to be any good in battle for long. We'll stop when Sango and Miroku have enough money to get by."

Kagome smiled, thinking how nice it would be to go home again. She thought longingly of their little house just a skip and jump away from all the comforts of the modern world. She snuck her hand into Inuyasha's under the table.

After a brief respite, they pressed onwards. Even the energetic Aijo got tired after a while so he fell asleep on Kilala's back, tucked within her soft fur.

As they traveled up the mountain slopes, Inuyasha caught scent of a minor youkai. He poked Aijo awake. "Hey Aijo," he said. "Smell that?"

"Yeah," said the little boy plastering himself to the ground and sniffing enthusiastically. He had inherited Inuyasha's nose apparently. Inuyasha growled softly and pulled his son off the ground.

"Don't get down in a vulnerable position. Stay here and wait. If it tries to attack, use your sword."

Aijo nodded his head up and down. He squatted down on the ground listening intently but nothing happened within a minute so he stood up. He was a young child after all, with the patience of one. Inuyasha could tell the demon had fled.

"I guess you scared it away squirt," said Inuyasha.

"Yeah!" said Aijo throwing up his arms in victory. Kagome smiled as he danced around. She had been shocked when Inuyasha had given Aijo a sword, but it had turned out all right. The father and son trained together daily and Aijo was picking it up quite fast. He had even been the one to kill one of the demons they were after in one of their routine extermination jobs. Yet he remained Kagome's sweet, gentle little boy. He reminded her of his father all right.

Their second son was shaping up much like Aijo, only this one had a silvery mane. Aijo asked about it, why his father and new brother's hair wasn't black like Mommy's or Aunt Sango's or Uncle Miroku's. Kagome teased him, saying it was because someone had forgot to put color in.

The group continued up the mountain and rapidly, they found themselves in an advancing fog. There was a demon energy about it, so Kagome protected the kids with a barrier until it passed. Then they all searched, but found nothing, so they continued on their way.

They settled down for the night in a grove of pines. "Don't leave the campsite Aijo," Kagome warned him stirring a pot on the fire. The little one wasn't about to go anywhere. He was looking at the warming food intently.

"When's it gonna be done Momma?" he whined.

"Soon," said Kagome crossly. "Go play with Shippo."

She tapped a spoon on the edge of the pot and gently laid the spoon down. Then she sat down and watched Aijo gallop around the campfire. Kagome yawned and rummaged through her bag. "Look Mommy! I'm strong!" said Aijo suddenly attracting her attention anew. He picked up the fully transformed Kilala above his head.

"See Mommy?" Aijo demanded.

Kagome smiled at him. "Yes Aijo, you're very strong." She got up and sat near Inuyasha so she could speak her mind. Inuyasha blinked at her, not sure what he was in for but sure it was something. That intent gaze she was wearing said everything, and here it went.

"He really is a ham isn't he?" said Kagome emphatically. Then she added, "like you."

Inuyasha scowled and Kagome grinned at her fun. The opportunity had been too good to give up. Still, for apology's sake she got down on her knees and scooted forwards so she was on the same level as Inuyasha with his back against a tree. She kissed him gently and he wrapped a hand around her back.

Sango and Miroku walked back into the camp with some firewood. They dropped it off. Sango shuffled away darting a glance and Miroku said, "interrupting something?"

"Just a little kiss," said Inuyasha standoffishly. Miroku strode off and Kagome began to rise. Inuyasha caught her hand.

"Not you," he growled. "We were interrupted remember? We have to start all over again."

"Nice excuse," giggled Kagome. "I love it." She surprised and pleased Inuyasha by trying to growl back. But it came out terribly so he mocked her by demonstrating a proper growl. Kagome refused to back down and pretty soon they were having a growling fight, withKagome trying to outdo him and Inuyasha correcting her. Love doesn't always make sense.

"What's going on?" said Shippo suddenly popping up. "It sounds like you two are clawing each other over here." Kagome laughed.

"Nothing like that Shippo," she said. "Inuyasha thinks he can growl better than me and I think he's right."

"Well he is part youkai," said Shippo matter-of-factly. He dusted a leaf off his shirt. "By the way, the soup is burning." Kagome's eyes got large. Shippo watched her while she yanked it off the fire desperately and had to start a new batch.

"Well that's what you get for acting foolishly," said the young fox self-righteously.

Miroku and Sango promptly came back to the fire where they asked about the soup.

"Mommy burnt it," Aijo wailed to them.

Miroku narrowed his eyes. "Just a little kiss Inuyasha?" he said accusingly.

Inuyasha became rankled. It took so little to get these two going these days. "Get off it monk. What I do with my woman and her food has nothing to do with you."

"Your woman eh?" said a resentful Miroku. "So you're saying you are unwilling to share her soup when Sango..." Miroku wisely bit his tongue but everyone knew what he meant. Sango had shared so much more. Inuyasha stood up on his feet.

"Damn it Miroku," he snarled with no playful growl. "We all know it wasn't my fault. I was used."

Miroku burst out. "Yes, but you're the one who benefitted, isn't that true Inuyasha? You got a daughter out of the deal. Yet another to add to your collection of pups." Aijo looked around at all the grown-ups not understanding a thing.

The two men glared at each other hard-headedly. Their conflict was interrupted however by an approaching wall of mist.

"It's a youkai!" said Shippo hiding under Kilala. He dashed back out to snag Aijo who was hopping around swinging his sword and dragged him beneath the firecat. Sango snatched up Taihen and Kagome rushed for her youngest son.

A coppery skinned youkai with an impish smile yet otherwise pure white hair and clothes sailed about on a little snow cloud. She gave a wicked smile. "Ice is so nice. With the snow let it blow." She laughed like a little school girl and indeed she seemed quite young. Then her face settled into seriousness as flakes pack into drifts unmoving. "I'm hungry," she said snaking a long purple tongue down a fang.

Her eyes shifted overKilala where the children lay hidden beneath and then towards the larger prey. "Only one, only one. Snow and ice here they come," the demon laughed again. From out of nowhere a hailstorm descended on Miroku who tried to cover his head with a sleeve.

"Miroku!" shouted Sango trying to dig him out.

"Rrr," growled the ice demon not liking her interference. While she watching them however she failed to note that the hanyou had vanished. He appeared up in the air behind her. With a surprised eep, the ice demon fell from her cloud as Inuyasha swung down his sword, slicing her puffy cloud right in two.

"Humph," said the little ice demon brushing herself off.. Suddenly another ice demon appeared beside her. This one was a little older, and completely white save for her coppery skin and hairpiece with bright emeralds in it. Like her junior, she had an elaborate braids in the front but otherwise abundant long-flowing hair.

"Sister," the newcomer breathed softly. "These are no ordinary mortals. You can not defeat them that way."

"But I'm hungry Sissy," the little one whined.

"Hush," said the older in a toneless voice. "We will destroy them."

Everyone suddenly became aware that the eldest demon bore a mirror in her hands. Only, her mirror had no face. In a few moments, ice crystals appeared on the front of the frame. They rose up in a froth which solidified with a crackling sound. The froth rushed along, pouring out from the mirror across the ground and into the air. Kilala dodged it nimbly with Aijo and Shippo on her back. Hodgi ran around pursued by a splash of it and was caught. Icy fingers clasped around him like a hand, then shook him and tossed him away. The ice crystals then folded themselves up around Sango holding Taihen and also encompassed Miroku. They caught Kagome and her new son in their clutches too, but Inuyasha rushed up and yanked her free only to be captured instead. Three struggled against the ice as it rose about their necks but to no avail. Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha were drawn down into the face of the mirror and disappeared.

"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome anxiously. She drew an arrow and pointed it at the bearer of the mirror. "Let them go or else," she said angrily.

"Or else what?" said the elder of the two sisters softly. "They are trapped within the mirror of betrayal. To melt the mirror each one must experience only warmth in their heart. Or else they will wander in their hatred forever and die."

Kagome glared at them. Aijo called out from his placeon Kilala. "Mommy, where quickly Daddy go?"

"Daddy's in the mirror Honey," said Kagome fiercely. "We're going to get him back."

The ice demons looked on stoically at her threats. Then the younger girl spoke.

"We're going to eat them all up," she mocked Aijo. "What do you think about that?"

"You're a bad youkai," said Aijo. "We kill bad youkai who eat people."

"Yeah," jeered the little girl. "Well we're gonna eat you Mommy too."

"Na-aw," said Aijo. "I'm gonna ex-TER-min-nate you cause you're a bad, bad youkai." He pulled out his sword and the younger youkai flew at him blowing out a snowstorm. It quickly covered Kilala, Shippo, and Aijo in a deep hill of snow and ice.

"Aijo!" Kagome called anxiously glancing their way. She looked up at the older youkai sister and fired her arrow. The youkai dodged but Kagome had gotten quite good at archery so she quickly let off another and this one hit true. The ice demon let out a wail and disappeared like the snow. Kagome then began to run towards the others to dig them out.

"Sister!" said the little demon. "I'm gonna get you!" she screamed at Kagome angrily. She swooped down but as she did so Shippo's foxfire successfully freed Kilala, Aijo, and himself from their snowy imprisonment. Kilala bounded up towards the remaining ice demon. Shippo launched out two of his fox magic ninja stars. The younger ice demon sent them flying back with daggers of ice. Aijo jumped down from Kilala. He stood on the ground with a resolute look on his face. He clutched his sword firmly with two hands and began running his two little feet along the ground as fast as he could. Then he boinged up from the ground so quickly you wouldn't believe. He swung his sword down and cut through a newly conjured cloud dropping the demon to the earth.

"Rrr," said the little ice demon. She got up and threw icy claws at Aijo knocking him back into a tree with a sickening crunch.

"Aijo!" Kagome shouted in panic.

"I'm okay Mommy," said Aijo stumbling forward wearily. "I'm strong." He looked intact but very dizzy. He shook his head. He got up with his sword again but Kagome put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait a minute Aijo," she told her son. She called out to the demon who was eying them haughtily.

"Little girl," she said loudly. "Let my husband and friends go, or else we will have to destroy you."

"Ha," spat the demon girl drawing out daggers of ice. "I'm gonna kill you too human. You destroyed my sister and I'm gonna get ya. You and all your demon friends."

Kagome let go of her son's shoulder. He looked up at her and she nodded. "Be careful," she said to him.

Kagome watched in pride and dismay as Aijo jumped around trying to avoid sharp pieces of ice. Then he tripped and fell.

"Come on," said Shippo pulling him off the ground and deflecting a hit with what appeared to be a shield of fire. "You can do it little brother." Aijo grinned.

"Get back on Kilala," Shippo said, "and hold your sword like this." He demonstrated with a stick after transforming it into a horridly florid sword. Shippo held it upside-down like a large knife with his arms bent.

"Oh," said Aijo. He climbed up after Shippo and held onto his sword anxiously.

"Kilala!" said Shippo. They charged down on the ice demon dodging her every blast thanks to Kilala's incredible reflexes and speed. She shoved forwards and her momentum would have meant the end of the ice demon except an arrow streaked through the air and dissolved her first.

"That's okay," said Kagome as they landed. She ruffled her son's hair. "That's enough for today. You did very well and Daddy's going to be very proud."

Aijo grinned. He leapt down and hugged his mother's leg. Kagome picked him up and hugged him to her heart. Then she looked over at the mirror fallen on the ground.

"Is Daddy still in the mirror?" Aijo asked.

"Yes dear," said Kagome. "We'll get him out some way." She set Aijo down and squatted down on her toes to look inside the glistening object.

Inside the mirror, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango had found themselves alone and lost in a blizzard. Each one stumbled along with no one in sight as the piling snow threatened to consume them. Then each one found themselves walking on a strange floor like an untransparent piece of glass. Everything was white, with the absolute lack of color save for the clothing on their own backs. The snow vanished as they struggled out onto the glass but then instead their environment changed around them so that they were enclosed by edges that seemed to drop off without bottom. Only one direction remained to each, leading towards a seemingly endless expanse.

Inuyasha looked around himself. He looked at the floor. "I'm sorry, so sorry," he heard Sango's voice echo up at him. He was very confused.

"Stop! Please stop Kagome, " the voice echoed out again from inside the floor. "It's my fault, it's my fault I did it see?" the voice of a memory said quavering. Inuyasha saw the memory as if it were happening all over again, passing before his eyes. Sango's drawn, frail voice forced out the words, "Her name is... Taihen."

After that, Inuyasha was lost in a pool of memories. He stared down at the floor transfixed as they bounded up at himlike the floor was some sort of stereo player. Inuyasha heard his own voice speaking out in pain.

"You hate me do you?" he said quietly.

"I didn't say that," Kagome's voice countered.

"But you hate me," pressed Inuyasha. "Don't you?"

Kagome's voice spoke again, this time on the verge of tears. "It's not that I don't love you anymore. It's that I loved you too much. Why did this happen to us Inuyasha? To us?"

His tone dropped into one of harshness. "This is all your fault lecher," it said. The floor lit upas ifa current was passing through it, the words resonating with an eeriness. The Inuyasha of memory snarled. "Damn it Miroku. We all know it wasn't my fault. I was used."

Miroku burst out. "Yes, but you're the one who benefitted, isn't that true Inuyasha? You got a daughter out of the deal. Yet another to add to your collection of pups."

The Inuyasha standing there listening to the vison snarled again. A fury of tears surrounded him. "Sango," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Sango broke into fresh sobs as she wailed. "But I didn't even get to say goodbye! I wasn't a good sister. I let him, I let him die Inuyasha. He's gone. He's gone for good. It's all my fault."

Inuyasha looked at her sternly and spoke. "Now listen here missy. You did everything you could. Everything. And now he is at peace. Let him be," he put in softly. "Let him rest at last. I had to do the same for Kikyo."

Sango cried all the more. "I know Inuyasha. It's probably better this way. It's just that... He was... all I had left. Now I have nothing... and I...don't know why... I should... continue living."

In the heat of battle he heard himself yell again. "Sango," he bellowed so she could hear. "Get out of here all of you! Go find Miroku!" But it was too late and he heard the inevitable conclusion.

"I don't get it," said Sango trying to speak normally. "Why isn't Miroku here? Maybe.."

While Inuyasha remained lost in thought looking at the mirror-like floor, snow had crept unnoticed around him. It encased him and his head slumped forward.

Miroku came walking along out of a blurry horizon of soft-white light. He had a hand held out in front of him in prayer. He quickly found the hanyou.

"Inuyasha!" he called out trying to wake him before knocking him free from the ice with his staff. Inuyasha stirred. "Hello lecher," he said with a snarl. He stood up and cracked his claws. He launched himself at Miroku and the monk held him off with his staff.

"What is the meaning of this Inuyasha?" shouted Miroku..

"Can it monk," said Inuyasha viciously. "It's all your fault. Kagome's being upset and hating me. Kohaku dying and Sango going crazy like that. Me being violated. I am a man damn it, a man. I can't believe I was used like that."

Miroku held back the hanyou and looked at his eyes. They were glazed over and no longer gold. They were blue, a frosty blue like an ice storm.

"Inuyasha get a hold of yourself," said Miroku. "You're under some sort of enchantment."

"Too bad for you monk," snarled Inuyasha. "Answer me damn it. Why did you go fucking off and let Kohaku die? Why did you do that damn it? I thought better of you until that day. I trusted you with my life. But now I see that would be a mistake."

Miroku's face paled. For a long time he couldn't reply. As if fearful of the query, he drew his tongue over his lips and cleared his constricted throat. He spoke softly.

"I can't underestimate how I regret it Inuyasha," he said meaning it. "Somehow, it just happened. It was and wasn't my fault. Sakura started it. She tried to keep me from going and I... forgot myself. I am so weak." He laughed without mirth and continued. "I'm not saying it's okay. I can never forget not forgive myself for what I did. I tried to punish myself for it, tried to escape by drinking but that didn't work. Then Sango came back to me. I can't give her brother back. I can't make up for that blood on my hands. But I swear I'll do everything I can to make it up." Miroku shut his eyes in pain for a moment. Then he reopened them and stared back at Inuyasha. They remained locked in stalemate, claws to weapon, until one of them moved.

"I can't stand it either Inuyasha. I can't stand the thought of how I betrayed Sango's trust. She was counting on me to be there by her side. You all did. I failed you. I failed myself. Above that, soon I was cast with a new problem. You and Sango. Damn it Inuyasha do you know what that was like for me! Though I didn't deserve her, for you to have had her for me is unbearable. I look at Taihen and get angry, but mostly at myself."

"Yeah," snarled Inuyasha. "Well it pisses me off too. It reminds me of how a woman fucked me up without consent. I never wanted a child from her. Then you, damn it, have to accuse me like it's a good thing. It isn't! Do you know what hell it's put me through! I almost lost Kagome."

"But don't blame Taihen," said Miroku fiercely.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha calming down. "Don't blame Taihen."

"And let's not blame each other Inuyasha." The hanyou said nothing and the monk continued. "Remember Inuyasha that we used to be friends."

Inuyasha said nothing for a while but the blue faded from his eyes and they returned to their normal radiant gold. Then he surprised Miroku by saying, "We still are monk."

"Really?"said Miroku doubtfully as if this was a break-through in scholarly studies. Inuyasha stood down and Miroku lowered his staff.

"Yeah monk," said Inuyasha. "If you think we hate you, you're the one all crazy in the head."

Miroku smiled and as he did so a fracture appeared along the ground. Miroku disappeared and the footing tilted sickeningly to rest at a slight angle. Inuyasha heard something far off and hastened toward it.

Outside the mirror, Miroku appeared at the campsite. "Miroku!" exclaimed Kagome. "You got out!" She pointed toward the mirror on the ground. "Can we do anything to get the others out?"

Miroku studied the crystal-faced mirror. "No," he said running his finger along a crack which had appeared in the face of it. "This is a powerful magical object and if I did anything I might destroy Sango and Inuyasha. We'll have to wait here and hope for the best."

"The demon said to melt it, one has to feel only warmth in their heart," said Kagome.

Miroku nodded his head. "Yes, so long as they manage to escape the illusion of hatred," he said.

Deep within the mirror, Inuyasha found Sango holding Taihen. The two of them had apparently slipped and were now perched precariously on a newly crumbling edge which had formed when Miroku had disappeared. Snowflakes were flurrying up from the nothingness beneath.

"Sango!" shouted Inuyasha uncertainly. "Are you all right?" He listened for a response.

"Yes," the answer came.

"You aren't under a spell or anything are you?" asked Inuyasha. "Do you hate Miroku?"

Sango paused and then called up to him. "No. I gave up hatred of him long ago. I only hate... myself."

That was enough for Inuyasha. Guaranteed that she wasn't going to do anything stupid and flip them all over the edge he reached out towards her but she handed him Taihen. He put the child beside him and reached down again as Sango slid further down the short slope. She gasped as her legs dangled and she was hit with snowflakes coming up from the emptiness beneath.

Inuyasha looked down. This was the woman who had betrayed him. He could simply let her slide, taking her away from him. But that wasn't an option. He looked down and saw only Sango. Inuyasha reached down a claw and took her hand. He was that kind of man.

"You don't... hate me?" Sango said, her ponytail blown past her face by the wind. Inuyasha searched himself and saw only her face and his regret.

"No," he said his words carried up and away by the wind. The blizzard around them shifted and like a crack of ice, the skyline split. They found themselves hand in hand beside the campfire. Miroku and Kagome were there by their side. Shippo was holding Taihen, flanked by Aijo and Kilala. They all stood quietly, watching the exchange.

Silently, Inuyasha pulled out Miroku's hand and placed Sango's hand within it. In the same fashion and with no wasted movement, Miroku held out Inuyasha' hand and joined it with Kagome's. They all stood there facing each other but staring at the ground. Back on the fire, a pot bubbled and spurted. Kagome turned to it. "Er, dinner's ready," she said.


	43. Chapter 43

Disclaimer: I mean no disrespect towards shintoism in this chapter. I do not own Inuyasha.

"Shh little child, shh, rest your head and go to sleep," a soft voice sang happy and content.

"Mama," said Aijo squirming his head from out under her grasp. "I'm ten years old."

"So you are dear," said Kagome thoughtfully. She was twenty-six years old herself.

Inuyasha looked up across the fire. He gazed at the aging lines on her face. He himself was unaltered from the day he had met her. So little time. Such a short amount of time they would have together. He sighed unhappily.

"What's the matter?" Kagome asked him.

"Nothing," he lied. He stood up and moved outside the fire ring to gaze at the stars.

So this was the ultimate truth. Why a demon and a human should not be together. Inside his heart was cracking in pain. He stumbled off down the road, watched by curious eyes.

He stumbled. He did not know where but all of a sudden he found himself on a little hill topped by a glowing cherry tree. The petals drifted up and down around it never touching the ground. A figure appeared suddenly behind him. She was dressed all in white with ears of a dog.

"I have seen your pain," said the woman. "What is your desire?" she asked.

"To be human," Inuyasha croaked.

"Then you shall have your wish," she spoke.

Inuyasha looked down at himself and his claws disappeared. His hair turned black. He was as he was on the night of the new moon.

He stumbled off again, hurrying down the road to get to Kagome, to embrace her. Without warning, a group of bandits surrounded him with swords and wounded him.

Inuyasha staggered up, holding his bleeding side. He gritted his teeth and dragged himself back to the fireside.

Kagome ran over to him as he collapsed. She held him in her arms and stroked his head. "Inuyasha, What happened?" she cried kissing his forehead.

"I don't know," said Inuyasha. "But at least... I was with you." He closed his eyes and spiraled away.

This was all a dream by the way.

Inuyasha woke up from the tree with a start. He looked down on Aijo and Kagome sleeping soundly. Aijo wasn't ten years old. Still, the dream had seemed so real and he was terrified by its suggestions. What should he do? Live alone for eternity, or die early as a human? The sacred jewel was the only possibility he could see for the second. The first seemed his doomed fate. He didn't like either choice. How could he protect her or himself as a human? How could they be together if he was not? For once he really wished his father was here. He had faced similar problems.

I (narrator talking here) sighed and closed my spy-glass through the petal fall. I had always felt for that hanyou. I had sent the dream to him to prove his thoughts. Now it was time I did something to help him. He was half-human after all. As the resident goddess at the Shrine of the Dog, it was my duty.

In the morning I went walking. I spotted Inuyasha's little group walking along the path so I rummaged around in my pocket. I pulled out a handful of destiny and blew it at them so they would change direction and go into the village I wanted them to. Sure enough, they walked around the tree and universally decided they might have been the other way already. Sometimes to be found one must get lost.

I scurried into the village and wrapped an ordinary guise around myself. I dressed as a village woman, the only problem being that the villagers here wouldn't know who I was, possibly alerting suspicion. So I kept myself invisible while I waited. It makes thing easier sometimes.

Reliably, Miroku came into town first tapping his staff. I didn't want him to rub my butt but I would have to chance it to help Inuyasha. He is lucky I'm so forgiving.

So I came around a row of boxes after removing my invisibility spell and approached the traveling group. "Excuse me travelers," said I. "But I see you have monk and a priestess among you."

"Why yes madam," said Miroku fondling my ass, apparently recovered from his emotional torment. "How can we be of assistance to you?" Obligingly, Sango hit him on the head, followed by Inuyasha.

"A terrible thing," I sputtered faking it. "The sacred object from the local shrine had gone missing!"

"Another one of those is it?" said Miroku rubbing his head. I was surprised he was still concious. "Please tell us everything you know about it."

"Well," I said putting a finger to my lip thoughtfully. "The seal is in the form of a small cylinder of brass with the sign for dog inscribed upon it. You will find where it resided over there in the Shrine of the Dog," I pointed a finger to my left.

"The... dog?" said Miroku.

"Yes," I said. "There was a terrible storm the day past and it simply disappeared."

"I see," said Miroku. "We will indeed try to find it for you."

"Thank you good sir," I said bowing. I excused myself and said I would meet them a the temple later. I ran ahead as fast as I could.

"Ah ha," I said to myself mischievously when I got there. "Plenty of time to spare." I picked up the seal with the dog symbol on it and held the sacred object in my hand. I put the real mackoy on my arm beneath my sleeve. I really didn't want it said about me that I amirresponsible. So I forged one with magic and infused it with an inu-youkai aura. "Perfect," I said grinning.

I crept out of the shrine house guiltily and hid behind a tree. "Now let's see," I told myself. "I need a place to chuck this thing." I had it in mind to set up a game of hide-and-go-seek. So to find the perfect place, I closed my eyes and my left eye turned gold beneath the lid, searching, scanning like it was a modern-day satellite. I opened my eyes and smiled. "That will do," I said.

I dressed myself as a peasant again, this time as an old man. Disagreeable to me but useful. I wrapped the counterfeit brass object in a bag along with some gold coins. Then, I wobbled along an old bridge plagued by bandits.

As soon as I got there, the bandits stopped me, shouting, "Hey you!" They preceded to take my bag of gold coins, but I looked like a cringing old man with hardly any teeth so they left me alone. As soon as they looked into the bag away from me, I vanished like a whisp of smoke. I popped up under the bridge as a big old dogfish.

Now the wonderful thing about bandits is that they have a guilty conscious and are easy to scare. As soon as they held the brass seal in their hand I blew up into a great big dogfish with glowing fins and scowled at them. "You have defiled the seal of the Great Dog God," I said ominously. The bandits squealed like little children and ran away. They dropped the seal into the river and I quietly swam off. Now it was time for Inuyasha's group to play their part.

I merrily skipped through the tree tops and flew down to land on the shrine roof. I needed to get some groceries, I thought. No matter. I pulled my hair down to cover my furry dog ears and straightened my skirt.

"Hello everyone," I said stepping outside to greet my arriving visitors. Gods, no wonder I like the hanyou. His ears were hot.

"Hello," said Miroku with a tone of cheerfulness. I nervously pulled down my cuff and hid my arm around my back.

"Well everyone," I said. "You can look around. I help out at the shrine here every once in a while and you can see there is no seal here."

"Indeed," said Miroku frowning at my odd behavior. He was canny all right. I was acting like an idiot as usual, so as everyone looked at the front, I walked around the back and merged into the wall. For form without matter, matter becomes form at will.

They searched around and found no clues. So they made their way to the closest village to ask questions. Some old friends were passing through. The bandits were talking to the village elder about the sacred seal, pretending someone had given it to them. Oh, someone had given it to them all right. Inuyasha happened to overhear them and he tipped off Kagome who tipped off Sango who tipped off Miroku. My plan was coming off perfectly.

So Miroku went over for some interrogation and before long, Inuyasha's group headed towards the bridge. I brushed up my hair and checked in my mirror that the seal was lying where it should. Not that it could go anywhere for the sake of the spell. I had rigged it so only Kagome could hold it. I walked over and quietly watched as they fished around the river for the Dog God Seal. As soon as they found it, it was showtime.

Inuyasha's party began to walk down the path back to the shrine, but as they did so their path divulged from reality, peeling off like their feet from the ground as they stepped. Without realizing they slide into another place of my making. Up ahead, it became dark. Around them, it became dark.

"Is it a demon?" said Shippo crying and jumping onto Inuyasha's head. Aijo clutched his pant leg.

No. It was I , and as they walked forward the hanyou began to see disturbing remembrance of a dream. Before him was a little hill topped with a glowing cherry tree. The petals drifted up and down around it never touching the ground. A figure appeared suddenly behind him. She was dressed all in white with ears of a dog.

"I've been waiting," I said.

"Who are you?" said the hanyou alarmed.

"Relax Inuyasha," I said. "I am the goddess of this shrine. I must thank you for returning my seal to this place. It was stolen from me."

"How did that happen?" he asked.

"It does not matter," I said shaking my head. "What matters is that it is returned. Kagome," I said.

Kagome shook her head. She pulled out the seal and offered me the forged seal infused with inu-youkai aura. I began to reach out a hand and silently commanded the magic to come out.

"Ah!" cried Kagome dropping the seal. Stripes of red power surged up her hand and around her arm. As soon as she cried out Inuyasha moved and he caught her as she fell, her head tipped back in unconsciousness.

"What the hell happened?" he snarled. "Did you have something to do with this?"

"Relax Inuyasha," said I. "It appears the magic sealed within the sacred object has escaped into Kagome, a very capable vessel. I'm afraid the effects will be permanent, but she will live. That's all that matters."

"All that matters!" snarled Inuyasha. "Kagome could be hurt and I'll be damned if I..."

"That's right," I said. "You'll be damned if you do. I am a goddess after all. However, in repentance for this disaster, I will offer you one gift. Two hundred years of life for every child of yours. Every child, even if born in sorrow. Remember that." I waved my hand up in the air and the fake seal drifted to me. "Remember," I said as the illusion faded and they returned to the normal plane. I hid in the shrine and watched them depart.


	44. Chapter 44

Kagome woke up with a feeling of pain. She didn't even have to open her eyes to know she was no longer asleep. Her every muscle ached. Her stomach churned as if she had swallowed fire and her ears were assaulted by deafening sound. She heard every little stir around her with absolute clarity and shooting agony.

Kagome sat up, unwilling to stay down. She hadn't even opened her eyes when she felt a strong arm behind her supporting her back.

"Inuyasha," she said. She felt his arm. She smelled his scent. Cautiously, she opened her eyes and found two golden orbs staring back at her.

"What happened?" Kagome asked. It hurt to talk but she wanted to so badly. Anything to drive out the pain which, strangely enough, was rapidly disappearing.

"Kagome," said Inuyasha pulling her against his chest. He sniffed her up and down her neck, affectionately givingit a little lick.

"Inuyasha," croaked Kagome wearily. She heard a child cry behind her and Inuyasha flexed his ears.

"Do you... feel well enough to get up?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Kagome stumbling up. She almost sat down again as the world around her swayed. Inuyasha leapt up to her side and placed a hand along her back lending her support. Finally, the world righted itself. Kagome looked out and saw Sango and Miroku staring at her from the fire.

"Hi guys," she called softly, her voice returning to normalcy. Still no one answered her. Feeling eeriness, she walked forward and passed by Shippo who only stared at her holding Kilala. Aijo had a hand over his mouth and was giggling as he pointed. Somebody coughed.

"You want to tell her Inuyasha?" said Miroku stirring the fire. All Kagome could hear was the crackling of sticks and the split of embers.

"Er. All right then. Kagome lift your hands." Kagome did as she was bidden.

"Good. Now touch your ears."

"Very funny Inuyasha," seethed Kagome.

"I'm serious," he said in a low tone. Carefully, Kagome reached up her hands to the side of her head. Nothing was there. She gulped. Her hands traveled up trembling to the top of her head and found themselves holding a soft pair of ears.

"I'm a youkai!" Kagome exploded.

"Ye... no," said Inuyasha trying to calm her. "From all we can sense you're still a miko and part human but you're more youkai than I am."

"Incredible," said Kagome dropping down. She twitched her foot nervously and turned.

"Inuyasha," she said slowly. "What do I look like?"

Inuyasha cleared his throat. "I think you know." Kagome glared at him. "You're a dog youkai."

"A dog youkai!" Kagome exclaimed. "Great. That means I probably have a tail, gah I do! I have a tail!" She gave it a few shakes. "What am I supposed to do about that, walk home with it and say Mom, I grew a tail?"

"No," said Inuyasha, "but you could show it to your sons. I'm sure they'll love it. I know I do."

Kagome calmed down a bit. "Do I still look cute?" she asked anxiously. "Even cuter," Inuyasha assured her.

"Well," said Kagome sitting down. "I guess it's all right then." She sat quietly while Sango spooned out some food for her. Silently, Sango offered the bowl and Kagome took it. Somehow, the scent was more full, much stronger. The pain in her stomach seemed to vanish and she gobbled up the food with relish.

"You're taking this awfully well," said Inuyasha.

"Yeah well, if I didn't like dogs I wouldn't have married one."

"I am not a dog," said Inuyasha stubbornly.

"Yeah, neither am I." She tapped her tail with agitation.

Kagome thrust down her bowl and stood up. "Come on Inuyasha. Let's go running."

"Running?" he said.

"I just want to move around," said Kagome. "My body feels all out of order and like I have this enormous amount to energy."

"That's probably the youkai," said Inuyasha. "That's part of the reason I feel so weak on the night of the new moon. The absence of it is really noticeable."

"Will I have a human day?" said Kagome twisting her head around.

"Maybe," said Inuyasha.

For a treat, Kagome strapped Aijo to her back and instead of climbing on Inuyasha, she stood beside him.

"I don't like that," he whined. "I like having you near me."

"Maybe later," said Kagome. She began to run and Inuyasha challenged her, hovering just ahead.

"Come on Kagome," he shouted. ""Pick up those feet."

Kagome scowled and was surprised when a soft growl came out. She pressed herself a little more, but she was already moving faster on her own than she ever had in her life. The ground below her moved in a blur and she feared the branches around her. They hit, but somehow she pushed through them barely feeling them. There was no sting, no slap of pine. Instead there was only the soft rush, the constant humming of drumming feet. She smelled the air and opened her eyes widely. She curled her ears forward from where she had lain them. This was living. The forest smells descended around her and she caught a very pleasing smell ahead. It smelled of strength. It smelled of spicy passion and tender love. It was her Inuyasha.

Kagome smiled. This was all right. It was better than all right. It was great. For the first time in a long time, she had no regrets about coming to the Sengoku Jidai. She was content with all she had been given, both the good and the bad.

Kagome came to a place where the ground shifted levels suddenly and instead of stopping she curled around and tumbled through the air to land neatly on her feet. Aijo giggled happily. He was a very strong child.

Kagome then leapt at a tree slicing it with her claws. The wood split apart and she jumped back to watch the raining debris. The world had come full circle. Instead of being the helpless girl watching the hanyou split a tree she was the one doing it. He was as impressed as she had been on the day they had first met.

Inuyasha stood there watching her his arms folded. Her form had changed but there was still that delightful sense of Kagome-ness. Her original spirit still reigned. So when she came back all proud of herself he took her in his arms without any sorrow only joy. Still, he had to tell her.

"Kagome," he said. "When you were passed out the woman we saw said something interesting."

"What is it?" said Kagome fondling his hair.

"She said she would give two hundred years of life to every child of mine."

"That's good isn't it," said Kagome pinching a strand of hair in her thumb. She leaned forward and ran several kisses across his mouth. He nuzzled her back and their ears touched. Kagome laughed and pushed back her hair.

"It sounds that way," said Inuyasha continuing. "But she said she would grant two hundred years of life to every child, even if born in sorrow. I wonder if she means Taihen."

Kagome frowned. "Very mysterious," she said. She leaned over. "Now Inuyasha, carry me."

"I thought you were a demon now," he said.

"I'm not as physically fit as you!" Kagome contended. "Besides, I thought you like it."

"I do," said Inuyasha. He lifted her up and smiled as Kagome lay her head sleepily on his shoulder.

"Love you my mate," Kagome whispered.

"Love you too," he said.

They returned to the campsite and settled down for the night. Kagome's pile of puppiesjumped on top of her, even including Taihen whom she had partially raised. That made a total of four. She laughed and called Inuyasha much to his dismay, "Daddy Doggie." Sango and Miroku laughed as well and discussed their own coming child. It was a peaceful night.

But that feeling of peace was to be broken next morning. A mysterious mist rolled in and with a crash of trees and the shout of thunder and a howling gale, an ice spirit appeared. She glared at them in absolute rage and hatred. "Are you the ones who killed my two daughters?" she said.

"If they were the two who attacked us and tried to kill us off then yes," said Inuyasha rudely his hand on his sword. Aijo mimicked him.

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Two spirits of ice, with hair braided like mine," she said. "One with a mirror and one riding a cloud." The camp was quiet for a few moments as everyone felt remorse and sympathy for the woman they had bereaved, albeight needfully.

"I'm sorry," said Kagome quietly. "I did it, to protect my husband and sons."

The demon ignored her words of apology. Instead, her nostrils flared and she created a handful, no a bonfire of icy flames. She threw it at everyone and they all scattered as everythingwas coated with ice.

"Inuyasha, Kagome," creaked out Sango as she kneeled half-frozen in an ice bank that was rapidly consuming Miroku. Shippo jumped off Kilala and began to use his flames to keep them alive. Hodji stood nearby with the younger children on his back.

Kagome whipped out her bow and fired an arrow at the demon.Sheducked it andthe demon's eyes widened. "A youkai with the power of a priestess?" she said in wonder. She narrowly avoided Inuyasha's wind scar.

"Give up," said Inuyasha lowering his sword. "We would have spared your daughters if they backed down. But they went out like proud youkai."

The only reply was that the ice demon caused spires of ice to rise up from the ground. Inuyasha and Kagome both leapt away. Kagome stood in front of the kids, Sango and Miroku, and everyone else. She raised a barrier around them while Inuyasha launched an intense attack on the female ice demon. "I won't give up," she said vengefully pulling a mirror out of her kimono. A blue light shot out of the mirror and sucked up spitual energy to create a large hole in Kagome's barrier. She only had one hand to fight with and so was at a great disadvantage. So she swooped in desperately fighting to keep the gap open while Kagome desperately tried to close it.

"Oh no!" said Kagome as the demon dived on her pile of pups with a cackle of victory. The ice demon flew back up dodging fox fire and feline teeth. In triumph, she held up...

"Taihen!" shouted Sango desperately holding out a hand. "No, Taihen!"

"Taihen is it?" said the demon. "A nice name. So interesting. She doesn't even smell like your mate. She smells like," she looked down on Sango, "you."

"Please, let her go," pleaded Sango.

"I decline," said the ice demon. "After all, this pup is clearly that of the loud mouth. I think I'll keep her. A daughter for a daughter."

"No!" screamed just about everyone. But the ice demon disappeared as fog obscured the sun. When the fog cleared, Taihen had vanished. They would search without success for many a year.

The ice demon Senestice darted across the clouds and down into a gloomy cave. A familiar villain lingered within. "Lord Mouryoumaru," she said. "Please tell me how I can exact my vengeance upon that hanyou of which you're spoken." Mouryoumaru smiled a creepy smile, the complete jewel shard in his hand.

"Serve me well," he said, "and raise this child to be one of us."

"With pleasure," said the demoness tickling Taihen fondly.

"And one more thing," said Mouryoumaru holding the glowing jewel tainted with a hellish soul of particular note. It pulsed out as if giving command. "Call me Naraku," the evil one said.

END OF STORY UNTIL SEQUEL.

Anyone have any name suggestions? I need names for two sons for Inuyasha, one son for Miroku, and a daughter for Kagome.


	45. Chapter 45

Note- Inuyasha's second son is named Yasuo.

"Ai shiteru (I love you) my beloved," thought a young woman hanyou as she watched through liquid brown eyes. As if in slow motions the family before her moved in circles through the languid day. All was bound up in a simmer of heat as the earth groaned up under the summer sun.

"Inuyasha," the young woman murmured out, barely a whisper on the non-existent wind and cloaked by the sound of cicadas. "I am so happy to be with you."

Before her, Kagome-chan watched Inuyasha play with the pups Aijo, Yasuo, and of course Shippo . With a roaring mock battle the part youkai combatants flipped through the air, shattering trees and rebounding through the shattering debris like diamonds. Green leaves floated down glinting momentarily in reverence to the sun before falling to the soft earth like a carpet. A carpet leading to her family and her new life.

Kagome lifted her nose and breathed in the smell. It was so wonderful being an inu-hanyou. Her senses tingled, taking in the strength and pulse of life. Her emotions were deep and bound with her pups and her mate. Like an unseen current, she felt their presence and took comfort in their proximity, in their happiness. From the slight distance, she could hear the soft reassuring beat of their hearts. She could smell the scent of clean sweat breaking out on the overtaxed pups. Soon they would be napping, she knew.

A feeling of contentment had surrounded the glade. After years of searching fruitlessly for Taihen they had returned to Kaede-baba's hut. This was home to them. Here they felt safe and secluded. In Inuyasha's forest, no demon dared roam unless he allowed them to. With the whole family's help, Inuyasha had quickly established this range as uncontestable. To her credit, Kagome was no longer someone who could be slighted. She had become a champion fighter in her accord, someone proud to stand beside Inuyasha's side and defend his territory with him.

It was strange these new feelings of youkai emotions. Doggishly, Kagome thought with a wry grin, she felt an obsession to protect her pups, protect her mate, and protect her land. So this is how Inuyasha had felt. She had always chided him for being an arrogant jerk, a show-off, and well embarrassingly moody and possessive. Yet now she found similar emotions floating about herself like some subconscious dream.

Callousness. That was another emotion she felt. No longer was life and death such a frightening thing to her although it never had been. She had more courage than any girl around to begin with. But now the scent of death and life intertwining like one endless circle wrapped around her. It was as if to fight and die, to scratch out a brief existence upon this earth, were a core pillar of her being. She was beginning to understand a demons obsession with power. Yes her soul was tainted. Yet it remained so pure. Her miko part of her lay dormant beneath a human/youkai façade.

Kagome stretched and refocused her gaze on the fray before her. She smiled and a swollen lump formed in her throat. Yes, she was so glad she had not lost him. First Kikyo then that unspeakable horror they had gone through almost tearing them apart. The very thought of how close they had come to separation nearly caused her to choke. But then the bad recollections were washed away in a feeling of dullen contentness and she allowed her battered heart to ease into it. Her life was so full now, so rich and deep. Nothing in the past could touch them. Nothing. And she knew with a confidence that nothing could break them.

Inuyasha sensed the sudden surge then fall of distress in his mate and he perked up his ears. "Kagome," he called over to her. "Come join us." Kagome looked up at him. The body language of an order by a dominant male spoke to her. Once, she might have been annoyed but in her current state she enjoyed it. She nearly ran into his comforting, protective presence where she was met with a fond embrace and gentle tousling of her hair.

"What's wrong Kagome," he said sniffing down along her necklines and licking their mark, reinforcing their bonds and Kagome's sense of protectedness. "Why did you get tense all of a sudden?"

The pups stopped their milling to look up from their parents feet. Yasuo had his thumb in his mouth. He gnawed on it while directing cute, wondering puppy-dog eyes up on his parents.

Kagome looked down at the kids distractedly and then up into Inuyasha's golden eyes. "Just thinking," Kagome murmured. "Don't leave me, Inuyasha," she murmered almost in a whimper. She nestled her head on his shoulder.

Inuyasha looked startled for a moment. "Baka," he said irritably. "You know I would never leave you." To prove his point in a way only the two could understand, he pressed his teeth lightly against her neck and muzzled her. He looked back at her with those big golden eyes. Clearly, they said, "You are my woman." Kagome lost herself in those eyes and the two cuddled and kissed each other until someone approaching made them jump back with hackles rising. But after a moment's examination of scent on the air, it was only Miroku. Kagome smiled and ran off like a whirlwind to meet up with him.

"Hey. Wait!" Inuyasha shouted waving arm above his head, his red haori draping like a flag in the wind. "Stupid woman," he muttered before dashing off after her, the kids bouncing along behind. "So stubbornly independent, leaving me to deal with things."

Kagome laughed with her head turned. Her large dog ears had let her take in everything and she stopped to let Inuyasha catch up. She didn't know really if she should be ashamed. She might have become a denmother, but she refused to ever become a housewife. She could stand toe to toe with Inuyasha and she knew it.

While they had merely traveled together as companions, possibly lovers, Kagome had steadfastly ignored all of Inuyasha's attempts to say he was in charge because just as desperately she wanted to maintain that she was not his. Nowadays, she was condemned to go along with him a lot more but she knew with free-soaring heart that she would ever be Kagome. Nobody but she could own that. So every once and while she made sure he ate dirt. Also, she made sure he did every bit as much of the housework as she did.

When Kagome, Inuyasha, and their little family reached the edge of a field near the sacred well they found Miroku. As one, they stopped before him. This was an everyday occurrence to Miroku, so there was nothing special about it. But he looked over at Inuyasha's glowering face while Kagome was grinning in a michevious way.

"Something wrong Inuyasha?" he put mildly.

"Not much monk," said Inuyasha irately with his eyes narrowed. "Just Kagome being stubborn again."

"Ah well," said Miroku loosing interest in their trivial spat. "As Kagome would put it, it's just a consequence of you having taken a 'modern woman'". Quickly, he coughed and changed the subject to a less touchy one.

"Inuyasha, Sango and myself have received notice that there are several villages heavily infested by demons to the north. We are planning to make a trip. Will you and Kagome be accompanying us?"

"Bah," said Inuyasha rudely. "Kohaku's going with you isn't he? You don't need us."

Miroku suddenly became very solemn looking. "We would appreciate your support my friend. Your company is of sentimental importance to us." Inuyasha looked at him with his emotional guard as down, clearly touched. But then the monk's countenance altered and a big grin spread across his face.

"Besides. We heard rumor there's a jewel shard involved in this."

"You crooked monk!" shouted Inuyasha infuriated. "That's you all right coming up with crap like that!"

"Not at all," said Miroku waving a hand. "Truly, after all these years you still remain unchanged Inuyasha. Ah, it almost leads me to the sin of envy." He scratched the side of his head and made a show of remorse.

"Yeah, you don't need any more sins than you have alr…"

Inuyasha would have gone on but Kagome had clapped a hand over Inuyasha's mouth. "What the fuck was that for?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Sh… don't cuss so much in front of the children," said Kagome looking backwards. "Besides," she said leaning in to whisper in his soft, velvety ear. "Don't remind him."

Inuyasha quailed his anger and looked over at his friend. Indeed, Miroku was looking pretty miserable. In unspoken agreement, everyone present decided to withhold reference to the past.

"Keh," he said whipping around causing the pups at his feet to scatter like wind-caught leaves. "Fine then monk. What's this about the jewel shard then." Inuyasha pretended to not listen while he picked up Aijo by the scruff who had been playfully poking his knee with a stick.

"It is unclear," said Miroku solemnly again. "It is only another rumor after all. However, it has been several years since any such rumors have come our way. It has been a long time since Naraku has collected all the pieces."

Kagome stared down at her feet. "Yes," she broke in of the two men now looking seriously at each other as if they were about to plan an attack. "It's been years since I've seen Mom."

The two men suddenly whirled their heads around to look sympathetically on the young woman twiddling her fingers together in a melancholy manner.

"There now you see!" said Miroku brightly taking advantage of the opportunity. "You have to help us now, you wouldn't want poor Kagome to give up this chance of seeing her family again now do you Inuyasha?" He put his staff and arm round Inuyasha's shoulder like they were drinking buddies and Inuyasha promptly shoved him off.

"Get off monk. You're just saying that just to get me to come. Well I was going anyway." Inuyasha made a show of stomping off. Miroku shook his head.

"He truly hasn't changed has he? You certainly have Kagome-chan."

"Ha!" said Kagome holding up a reproving finger. "It's Kagome-sama! I'm still a miko in a way you know. Besides," she said pointing a thumb to herself and spreading her feet for drama, "I'm the mate to a demon lord!"

"Indeed, Kagome-sama, said Miroku nodding his head. "Forgive me Kagome-sama. Still," said Miroku wistfully. "How I would like to grow old with all of you."

Kagome suddenly felt very conscious of that statement. The truth of it hit her and sunk into her chest. Suddenly, as if by a vision, she saw two solemn gravestones near the bone-eater's well. Unexpectedly, she ducked away splattering tears everywhere.

"Hm? What's the matter Kagome?" said Miroku perplexed.

"Don't say that!" Kagome screeched. "That's just too sad!"

"Wow," said Shippo crawling out from behind Miroku. "Mother's scary today isn't she?"

"Yes she is Shippo," said Miroku happily.

"Hey!" shouted Kagome suddenly ending her tears.

"So give us your time now Kagome-chan," said Miroku sweetly all of a sudden. "Please come on this journey with us. You missed the last one."

"Hey," said Kagome quietly putting two-and-two together. Then she got mad. "You tricked me! You just wanted to get me to say we'd go with you!" She swung an angry, clawed fist at Miroku. Over the years and through her transformation, she had only added to her temper.

"It was with the best of intentions," said Miroku pacifistically while hiding behind his staff.

So the entire group ended up leaving Kaede's village after only a brief respite. Kagome closed up her house (with a grumbling Inuyasha's help) for yet another long journey. Sango just hit hers with her large boomerang. She had a strange way of doing things these days. It seemed the perpetual loss she had endured had left a mark on her since she said, "If it's not there, I can't miss it."

"Mother," said Kahaku, Sango's son in a I-can't-believe-this tone.

Reviews?


	46. Chapter 46

I do not own Inuyasha, the other characters, or rights to the series.

In Search of a Jewel Shard

It had been a long time since they had been in search of a jewel shard Kagome thought to herself. Truly, it felt like old times. Those days when they had first met and become like a close family. Those days before all their tragedies occurred. A soft smile played across Kagome's face. It was so internally restful. Inside, her heart felt as though it was swelling through the bands that constricted her happiness. For a moment she thought she could forget they were there. But then with a sad, wistful smile she realized that they burdens they all carried were with them still.

Rearranging herself so that she was further away from the uncomfortably warm heat of the fireside, Kagome shivered involuntarily as the wall of night air hit her. Thoughtfully, Kagome surveyed their camp. Sango was over in the corner sharpening her demon-slayers sword to perfection. Her son, Kohaku (named after her deceased brother) was there too. Under the training of both his parents, Miroku and Sango, he had recently become a monk-in-training. Inuyasha was hanging out watching the food cook as expected, and to the left was little Shippo who was still a child in-demon years playing with his tree-breaking tops. Aijo and Yasuo were nearby watching their "big brother" but ironically Aijo was now developmentally about ten years old. It seemed the human blood in him was affecting his lifeline strongly, at least for now. Similarly, his little brother Yasuo was about six, exactly how much he would have been if he were all human.

Kagome went to the fireside and poked a stick thoughtfully into the coals stirring the embers. A strong gust of heat blasted up waving her hair and imbedding the scent of wood smoke in her tresses. Kagome added a log to the fire and moved back as several crackles sent debris up into the air to try to float down on her head. She flexed her ears and caught one of the winking lights in her hand.

As she turned around she found Miroku tromping back with an armful of fire wood. "Hey Miroku," she said casually, "would you watch the kids and the fire after dinner? Inuyasha and I need to practice." To her left, Aijo perked up his ears and ran over.

"Mother, I need to practice too," he demanded halfway trying to be polite. He looked at her with determined eyes. Kagome sighed.

"All right, but you just spare NICELY with Yasuo until me and Daddy call you alright?" she said trying to satisfy the child. Aijo folded his arms.

"I'm NOT a baby anymore mother," he said sourly. "Yasuo can't fight anywhere's decent. I want to train with you and father."

Kagome shook her head, her large soft ears flopping slightly. "No Aijo, you need to be a good brother and help Yasuo learn how to defend himself. I'm sure your father will spare with you after we're done." Kagome uttered her words as absolute and defeatedly, Aijo wandered off muttering something about annoying little brothers.

Kagome stood up and stretched. She felt her long tail sweep out behind her gracefully as she stood and her earrings (which she had made herself) dangled playfully. She yawned letting her long tongue curl out and then looked into the night with her eerily luminescent eyes. She strode around the fireside to where Inuyasha was watching the food keenly and nudged him gently. "Did you hear what I was saying?' she said gently to his ear.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha loudly with one thought on his mind. "Is the food done yet?"

Kagome shook her head with a smile and went to the fireside to extract their one-pot meal. In a flurry, everyone was there holding out a dish for Kagome to spoon into. Kagome almost laughed, reassured by the predictability. Their world had somehow settled into this. Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku standing over there and her kids squabbling over who was first and Inuyasha unfairly getting TWO portions as usual. Somehow she wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe, perhaps in some way she could have had the perfect life. She could have been human with no worries about demons, or lost children, or past hardships, or concerns about her own immortality. But then it wouldn't be real. It wouldn't be her living this life. It would be someone else.

"Inuyasha," she said abruptly as he finished off his plate. "Let's go."

Her hanyou nodded and joined her at the edge of the clearing. "Don't you or Yasuo follow Aijo," he stated firmly. "Stay here with Miroku and Sango until we come to get you." He strolled off with Kagome by his side.

Kagome looked back over her shoulder then looked at her mate. "Thanks Inuyasha," she said warmly. "It wouldn't be good if they wandered off again. It makes me really worried." Inuyasha said nothing but he kept his arms crossed. Finally, they came to a vast open field with a few large boulders here and there. Inuyasha turned around to face her with a smile on his face.

"All right Kagome," he said with a tone of enjoyment. "We can get a really good practice session in today."

"Yeah!" said Kagome enthusiastically holding up a fist. She pulled a small thin blade from her side and held it out with a smile. Inuyasha scoffed.

"You're going to do as bad as yesterday Kagome," he said spiritedly.

"Just try me," said the female hanyou with as much heart.

With a fierce clang, their swords rang out as they parried, blocking each other's blows and readjusting to fling strikes at one another.

"Hah," said Inuyasha mockingly. "You trying to tire me out Kagome cause I'm being bored to death."

"Why you," said Kagome with a false-wrath.

Though the two left scars all over the earth and smashed against each other's blades with great strength, it was all for fun really. Inuyasha was still the most experienced fighter of the two and both held back any strong or killing blows. It was more an exercise in enhancing speed than anything.

It had started out years ago. When Aijo was young Inuyasha had begun training the pup to defend himself, then Yasuo and Shippo as well. Also, when Kagome herself was transformed into a hanyou by a goddess they met on their journey, she found herself with a need to learn how to use her new powers. Happily, Inuyasha had volunteered to be the one to teach her how not to be such a, "wimpy schoolgirl." Over the years, she had become anything but that.

Nowadays, Kagome could pick up huge boulders and throw them. She could leap up tall cliff sides alongside Inuyasha and take on opponents with her sword. However, she knew she would never be as strong a fighter as Inuyasha. Her mate was overwhelmingly strong even by demon standards. More than that, Kagome lacked the same mentality he had. She was more the thinker, the peace-lover. He was strong-headed, the battle-lover. He went in with an odd mixture of cunning, carelessness, and stupidity and but somehow always came out ahead. She couldn't be like that. She was just a different person. She was genuinely feminine. Genuinely scholarly. Genuinely Kagomeish. She was just a modern girl.

Still, she was genuinely a woman and her hanyou blood was thudding with a dizzying sense of pleasure. They had long abandoned swords by now and were just trying to land punches or perhaps a kick. Flawlessly, Kagome twirled herself around on the top of a rock avoiding a sideswipe. Then she pushed herself up on her hands and flipped off the boulder. She was really quite nimble.

The two hanyous stared at one another breathing heavily. They had been going on for half an hour and were rather worked up. As was wont to happen, these two were working themselves towards a kissing session.

Kagome shivered looking across the waving clumps of turf remaining. Inuyasha moved forward, and she jumped, blocking and evading but then falling to the ground. She knew, instinctively, that her mate was about to get serious and she paused. Immediately, Inuyasha ran forward and with a greater ferocity than he had been showing, pinned her to a rock. Kagome's heart thudded with the change in tempo and with a sudden searing inflaming her, she felt his lips press hotly against hers. She lost herself in her passion, nodding her head against his as they entwined together as one column of heat. She felt his tongue slip into her mouth and they abandoned themselves to their fury of passions until they had kissed their madness away. Then the two broke apart, both knowing from experience that this not the time nor place to forget their schedule.

"We…" said Kagome struggling to catch her breath, "had better … get the kids. You know they wanted to practice."

"Bah," said Inuyasha looking off in the other direction with his arms folded once again. "You know what, kids are a bother."

"I know that," said Kagome smiling wanly. "But if we did anything else you realize we would just get more." Kagome suddenly became aware that Inuyasha was standing behind her back fiddling with a strand of her hair.

"That might not be so bad," he said almost huskily. "We could make it worth it."

"Shush!" said Kagome half-annoyed, half-wistful. She batted him away with her hand and strode off in a direction parallel to the campsite. She wanted to get closer to it, she just didn't want to get there yet. She had to calm down first.

Yes, this was what her life had come to. She had been trapped outside the well for years now. It meant not seeing her mother, Sota, her grandfather, or even Buyo. But it also meant no ramen noodles, no modern first aid kits, and no preventives. She would have to speak to Sango for all her hanyou needs. Life was very complex actually.

So the hanyou pair returned to the campsite after a long while to collect their pups for training. They chose a small glade with a waterfall in it to train the pups. Aijo was quite good already. He had a sword made by Totsai from Inuyasha's tooth and he was already adept with it. Sometimes, he was the one to take down the demon in the routine demon exterminations they performed with Sango and Miroku. Yasuo was too young to be at the battlefront just yet and besides that there were already too many fighters vying for work to do. That left him little to do actually. Shippo had become an expert at his fox-magic ninja stars and he regularly chased away without killing demons who came near their campsite out of curiosity. They were such an odd group they had become something of an attraction to forest-dwelling creatures.

Shippo started the training first. He flung his stars rapidly at Aijo who batted them back like they were flies. Aijo rushed in for a strike, and the kitsune disappeared with a pop. He reappeared under his feet, rising from the ground in the form of a giant bubble with teeth. Aijo almost fell over but then leapt back and swung a fist towards the transformed Shippo. The giant bubble caught his fist with its teeth. Frustrated, Aijo tried to shake him off. Yasuo watched all this with giant eyes. He lifted up a tiny finger and pointed it at Aijo. "Big Brother is stuuupid," he said emphatically

"Mother!" Aijo blurted out incensed by his little brother's mockery. "Tell him to shut up!"

So it went on until Inuyasha started sparing with Aijo. Then the glade was filled with resounding clangs as the little quarter youkai drove a myriad of skilled attacks toward his father trying to prove himself. Kagome smiled at their son. Then, she smiled just as much when Yasuo tried his hand at learning the attacks Aijo was now so adept in. It made her mother's heart proud.

Finally, after more than an hour of sparring Kagome could smell the weariness in her little ones. She clapped her hands together. "All right everyone," she announced importantly. "Time for bed."

So they tromped back to the campsite and she tucked her three pups in for the night. Then she kissed Inuyasha and settled down by his side for the night, her tail twitching every now and again. It was a rest filled with beautiful dreams, although she forgot them by morning.

In the early light of dawn Kagome woke to find her best friend Sango stoking the fire. "Hi Sango," she said with a cheery smile. Sango gave reply with a wane grin.

"How are you doing today Kagome?" she asked seriously. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

Sango and Miroku took charge of the camp and soon had everything packed up and everyone ready to go. "We are going to the north," Miroku gravely reminded them stopping the milling pups temporarily. So they got serious and began wending the trail.

After many a day the little group finally trooped into a small village far to the north. There, they rapidly found a half-dozen villages strewn over the foothills. Several of them had been abandoned and youkai were clearly harassing the villagers of the towns remaining.

Dutifully, Sango unstrapped her Hiraikotsu. Even after all these years she was still a tremendously athletic woman. After all, she was still only twenty-seven years old. Miroku was a little older than that, but they were both in excellent condition. Miroku discussed business with the village elder and they chased the demons out of several of the villages. In the fourth however, Kagome was certain she sensed a sacred jewel.

"It's here!" she said excitedly. "It's in this village somewhere I know it!"

Kagome followed her tingling shard sense to the edge of a veranda on the largest house in the village. She peered under with her luminescent hanyou eyes and took a whiff. Her eyes widened.

"It's a kitsune," she said amazedly. "And she smells just like Shippo."


	47. Chapter 47

Hey everybody. Many thanks for reading my stories and an especial thanks to my prolific reviewer. That was very kind. I want to let everyone know now that I will not abandon this story. So here is a new installment.

"It's here!" Kagome said excitedly. "It's in this village somewhere I know it!"

Kagome followed her tingling shard sense to the edge of a veranda on the largest house in the village. She peered under with her luminescent hanyou eyes and took a whiff. Her eyes widened.

"It's a kitsune," she said amazedly. "And she smells just like Shippo."

"What?" said Sango quizzically, her large boomerang held overhead. "What is it Kagome?"

"I'm not sure," she said crouching down. Cautiously, Kagome made to climb beneath the building.

"Stop Kagome," Inuyasha barked. He grabbed her by the edge of her shirt and yanked her back much to her annoyance. Kagome took it patiently while Inuyasha shoved himself under instead.

"Stay there," he yelled bossily back at her. Kagome sighed.

A hushed minute fell upon them. Then, a terrific scrabbling and banging, accompanied by shouts resounded. Dust began to spray everywhere from beneath the deck and the house above it began to shake and tremble as if there was an earthquake. With a crack, Inuyasha burst his head up through the floorboards of the veranda holding a young vixen by her scruff. The young fox demon was only a foot taller than Shippo and even more feisty. Furiously, she tried to claw Inuayasha's hand off and sank her teeth deep into his hand.

"Knock it off!" he said angrily clunking her on the head. The girl fainted and they lay her out starry-eyed on a ground cloth.

"Well what do you think Shippo?" Inuyasha asked towering over the small kitsune. "Kagome's right, she does smell like you. Who is she?"

"I… I have no idea," said Shippo seriously.

"WHAT!" exclaimed Inuyasha not believing what he heard.

"I told you Inuyasha," said Shippo crossly. "I don't know her. I never knew I had a sister." Curiously, Shippo leapt down from Kagome's arms and sniffed the female kitsune.

"She's very pretty whoever she is," said Shippo with his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Mnhm," agreed Kagome smiling good-naturedly. "She has as beautiful a tail as you Shippo. Besides that, she has a sacred jewel shard."

"Huh?" said Shippo innocently. He looked up at Kagome's motherly face and happy to please her, reached into the other kitsune's kimono to take the sacred jewel. At the very moment he put his thieving paw into her shirt however, the young vixen woke up.

"A- hah!" she cried in a mature yet youthful voice like that of Ayami. "Trying to take my jewel shard huh! I'll show you scoundrel!"

A fury of powder showered them all, obscuring not only their sight but overcoming their sense of smell as well with a heady, flowery fragrance. Inuyasha coughed and straggered. He used his Tetsusiaga to clear away the dust just before collapsing onto the ground.

"She got away!" said Shippo furiously all a sudden. "It's all your fault Inuyasha!"

"Don't you mean Father?" said Inuyasha miserably from the ground.

"What is Big Brother talking about?" said Yasuo innocently to Aijo. "Why's he yelling at Daddy like that?"

"Shh," said Aijo remonstratively. "Shippo is adopted. He yells like that when he gets very angry at Father. He only uses his name when he loses it."

"That's not very nice," said Yasuo disapprovingly folding his little arms. Then he looked up at Aijo and tugged on his sleeve. "What's adopted?"

Over in their corner however, Kagome was trying to calm down the kitsune who was practically in tears and on fire at the same time.

"Go after him Inuyasha!" he ranted jumping up and down with a finger pointed off to the horizon.

"Calm down Shippo," repeated Kagome. "It's 'Father' remember and besides, that's a her not a him."

"Well go get HER then," he demanded.

Kagome caught the bouncing kitsune in her hands and crunched him within a firm hold. It paid to be a hanyou. "Settle down right now Shippo," spoke Kagome firmly. "Inuyasha," she called. "Let's go."

"Right," said Inuyasha half-heartedly. His face held a clear expression of musings. "What does all this mean?" he wondered.

They began to track after the female kitsune. She was running into the woods at a rapid clip. They pressed through the trees branch after branch, stride after stride in one furious blur. Behind him, Inuyasha could see Kohaku and Sango resolutely riding Kilala as usual. Shippo was there too, holding onto Miroku's shoulder as he jogged along. The little kitsune looked very intent, more so than Inuyasha had ever recalled seeing.

Glancing at Shippo, Inuyasha got an uneasy feeling. Does this mean he had no right to call Shippo his son? Perhaps there was family out there for him to live with. Maybe even a mother. Inadvertently, he gulped. For all this time, ever since his own ceremony of maturation back at the palace of his father, he had called this young kitsune his own son. He was his pup. Sure he was Shippo, but… suddenly Inuyasha was afraid of what they were to find. But he knew they must find out.

With new resolve, Inuyasha burst up through the canopy soaring. On his back Yasuo waved and Kagome and Aijo strived to keep up. Inuyasha stopped momentarily to let them meet him. He smiled. Wistfully, he recalled the days when Kagome had ridden his back constantly, pressed warm against him. Though he needn't be wistful really. Nowadays, he had the warmth of her body heat at night, her gentle touch by the fireside as they cuddled. Besides that, out of old times sake, Kagome stole a ride every now and then. He grinned.

When everyone had caught up, he sniffed the wind and let Yasuo off his back onto a tree branch. "Pups, stay here," he intoned. Then, with a soft rustle of fabric he leapt down into the deep shadows of the woods. Yasuo and Kagome, who had dog ears, perked them up to catch sounds from obscure depths below. Nothing was heard for a long time.

Then, an explosive boom akin to that from one of Shippo's tricks sent a tower of glue spraying everywhere. It splattered the trees and drifted down like confetti where airborn particles had dried. Kagome, Shippo, Inuyasha's sons, Miroku, Sango, Kilala, and even Kohaku struggled to free themselves from the splotches that had secured themselves firmly around their ankles.

"Well," said Miroku seriously wiping his staff off on his sleeve, "we had better go down and help Inuyasha."

"You're right," said Kagome sadly.

So they all flew down and found the hanyou hanging upside-down unhappily in a mat of glue. By the way, hair and glue do not mix and Inuyasha had a lot of hair. So they pried him loose with a lot of complaining and Kagome scolded him for not keeping the semblance of a civil tongue in his mouth. Devoutly, Aijo whispered to himself all the slanderous curses his father used determined to forget not a one. Yasuo just whined about Mommy getting angry.

Shippo, meanwhile, had slipped off. Like a squirrel, he was flitting along the branches flicking his tail anxiously and sniffing the air. Then, with a loud, "BOOM!" a knobbly branch transformed itself into a young vixen and caught Shippo around the neck.

"Ah ha!" said the young kitsune triumphantly with Shippo in a clench. She buried her nose in Shippo's fur and took a deep breath. Then her fierce scowl was replaced by a tremendous grin as she spun Shippo around and embraced him.

"Little brother!" she cried breaking into tears. "How I've longed to see you!"

"What?" said Shippo dumbly as he stared at the young vixen nose-to nose.

"That' s impossible," he said haughtily turning around and folding his arms. Loudly he boasted, "I'm the son of Inuyasha, a youkai lord," he said arrogantly. He peeked a glance at the vixen through the fold in his arms.

"Nonsense," said the young vixen loudly. "Stop being stupid." She hit him over the head with a loud thunk. "You're the son of a fox who dwelt in the region owned by the Thunder Brothers are you not? I know that it's true, I can smell it."

Shippo rubbed his head and glared at the obnoxious, overbearing girl.

"Yeah, I'm his son all right," he said angrily, "but who are you! How do I know you're not an imposter? My mother…"

"Mother left Father remember? Or perhaps you don't. Bit him on the nose and left YOU with HIM. Had better things to do."

"Hey," shouted Shippo wrathfully. "You listen here, Father was the best fox ever. He was the greatest father who ever lived!" Suddenly, the young vixen seemed to have nothing to say. Her tone was very hushed when she next spoke.

"Yes Shippo. He was the greatest father ever. It was Mother who was unreasonable."

"Still," she began shouting abruptly with intensity. "You should have come looking for me when he died. Do you have any idea how many years I've been searching for you?"

Fiercely, the young vixen shook Shippo by the collar until he began to look very dizzy.

"Hey you," said Inuyasha firmly taking charge of the situation. "Let go of Shippo. I don't care who you are, he's my adopted son and I won't let a stranger treat him so roughly."

"There's a lot of irony in that," said Sango to Miroku in an aside.

"Tell me about it," he replied.

The young vixen stopped abruptly and fixed a stunned gaze up at the approaching hanyou. When Inuyasha got too close, she retreated to a branch further back, dragging Shippo along with her.

"Hah!" she cried out angrily. "You were just using my brother to steal jewel shards for you. You can't have him. I'm taking him back." Shippo had had enough.

"Get off whoever you are," he said fiercely while surprising her by slipping out of her arms. In one swift move, he clasped her arm and shoulder, then swung her over his head to land on the ground with a resounding thunk.

"Ack," said the vixen rubbing her rub haughtily. She waved an angry fist at Shippo. "You little runt, I should…"

"Perhaps you should tell us what is going on here," said Kagome squatting alongside her in her very worn-out loafers. The vixen looked up.

Half an hour later, they had a warm fire going. Moodily, Inuyasha was still trying to sweep the glue out of his hair and muttered something about needing a bath. Kagome ignored him, instead turning to the little kitsune so newly come among them.

"So tell us," Kagome said to her handing her a bowl of hot stew. "Are you really Shippo's sister? What is your name?"

The vixen looked thoughtfully into her stew watching the steam drift. Then she blew on it arrogantly and spoke. "My name is Uruwashii (meaning beautiful or lovely). I'm Shippo's older sister. You see, just after Shippo was born (he was too young to remember anything yet) Mother took me to live with Grandmother. Grandmother took care of me, she was the leader of the tribe. But then Mother got eaten by a stronger youkai and then Grandmother died. I wasn't strong enough to be the new leader of the tribe and soon I left. I was living just fine on my own but I decided to go back and try to find Father. When I did however, I found that he had died and I thought Shippo had too. But then some girl in the nearby village said they had seen Shippo leaving with a strange-looking band of travelers. I tried and tried to find you for ages but no body knew where you were." She turned to the younger kitsune and looked at him intently.

"Shippo, is it really true that you call yourself this… this half-breed's son?" She pointed a long accusing finger at Inuyasha.

"Hey!" yelped Yasuo angrily. "Don't say mean things about Daddy. He's the best father in the whole world and Shippo's our brother not yours." He scowled at the impudent vixen with his ears lain flat. She paid him no mind.

At the same time however, Shippo got up angrily to his feet.

"Don't you dare insult Inuyasha!" he shouted pointing an accusatory finger of his own at his new-found sister silencing her. "I'm proud to call him my Father and these are my brothers. If you don't like it you can just leave!"

The young vixen suddenly became morose and very teary eyed. Disconsolately she sucked at her sleeve. "Do you really mean that Shippo?" she asked woefully.

"Err," said Shippo instantly regretful of his outbreak. " You don't have to go. Actually, I want you to stay…"

"He had better. We spent enough time tracking her," Inuyasha muttered from the side of his mouth to Miroku who nodded his head in agreement.

"Say," said Kagome dropping to her knees again to gaze into Uruwashii's eyes. "You know, it seems you don't have anyone to take care of you do you? If you want, you can stay with us. We already adopted Shippo. It would only be fair if we adopted his sister as well."

"Hey!" said Inuyasha angrily. "What's fair about that? I don't recall agreeing to take in two kitsunes. If I had known it would turn out this way I would never have allowed Shippo to come with us in the first place!"

"Sit boy," said Kagome impromptly. A crater was left in dog-demon's place.

"I don't know," said Uruwashii hesitantly. "I'll have to think about it."

"YEAH!" an overjoyed Shippo exclaimed suddenly attaching himself on Kagome's shoulder. "You'll love it with us Uruwashii. Kagome's a great mother."

"What about Father?" said Aijo curiously.

"He gets two points out of three," said Shippo idly.

"I can hear you ya know," said Inuyasha dragging himself from his hole.


	48. Chapter 48

Across the firelight in the early morning dawn, Shippo watched his new found sister sleeping on one of Kagome's blankets. Her nose snuffled in the ground until she gave a delicate little sneeze. She didn't wake up.

That gave Shippo a grand idea. Cautiously, he snuck up to Uruwashii and tickled her lightly with a blade of grass. The female kitsune rubbed the ticklish blade away, but after a minute of Shippo's watching, she had still not awoken. Carefully, Shippo made a daring attempt for the jewel shard. With success, his little paw clasped itself around a soft leather bag containing the jewel. Holding his breath, he tried to draw it out but just as it reached the air Uruwashii awoke. "A- hah!" she cried noisily slapping his hand away and spiraling to land several feet back. "Still a little thief aren't you?"

Shippo glared back at her. "You're one to talk. Where did you get a jewel shard anyway?" he steamed.

"None of your business," said Uruwashii in a bratty manner. "But if you must know, I used my good looks to trick a man into giving it to me. I am a lot older than you ya know, little brother," said the young vixen flippantly.

"You sure don't act like it," said Shippo under his breath.

"What was that you little brat!" Uruwashii steamed.

"You heard me," Shippo shouted back eyes flashing. Then he brushed his arms off acting like none of it mattered to him. He pulled off the act pretty well.

"Oh well," said Shippo. "It doesn't matter to me. I was just trying to save you from injury, seeing how dangerous the jewel shard is and all. After all, I thought you might be tired of having demons and monsters chasing after you all the time. Oh well." With a hidden smirk, Shippo began to walk away.

"Wait!" said Uruwashii holding up a paw. "Maybe you're right Shippo," she said more reasonably. "Only I won't give it to you. I'll give it to the priestess."

Shippo regarded her thoughtfully. "Is that why you had the jewel shard in the first place?"

"Yes," said Uruwashii. "I heard the group you traveled with looked for them, so I intended to use it for bait to get you here. Worked pretty well, didn't it?" the kitsune said with a smirk.

Shippo flicked his tail and studied her with respect. She indeed did look older. She was almost grown up and very beautiful. Suddenly, Shippo felt very proud. Last night's events had turned his world upside-down, but maybe finding out he had a big sister wasn't so bad after all. Maybe, he thought to himself, he should give her a chance.

Everyone had woken up at Shippo and Uruwashii's shouting so they all sat around rubbing sleep from their eyes. Rapidly, the fire was stoked, breakfast was prepared, and the bedding put away. Kagome pulled out a chipped mug with a cat-face on it, filled it with tea, and gave it to Uruwashii.

"How are you feeling today Uruwashii?" she aid amiably towards the kitsune. It was a peaceful morning, sunny and bright. Uruwashii took her time before answering.

"Here," she said pulling a jewel shard from her pouch. "I'm giving this to you to take care of. I don't need it anymore now that I've found Shippo."

"Oh?" said Kagome softly. She smiled and put it in her pocket.

"You know, I've been hoping to find this for a long time. It means I can finally visit my homeland. It's very far away from here."

"Is it?" said Uruwashii curiously sipping her tea.

Kagome smiled. She sat down beside Uruwashii who was suddenly acting like an adult and talked to her. They gossiped for a long time about who they were and what they were doing with the sacred jewel shards. She explained how they had found Shippo, and any little thing that came to mind.

"So you can really go home now?" asked Uruwashii curiously. "Across the well?" Carefully she surveyed Kagome's features.

"Hopefully," she replied. "Except." Kagome suddenly looked crest-fallen.

"Except what?" asked Uruwashii.

"Except I have these ears now," said Kagome sadly. "And this tail. They will be rather hard to explain." Kagome coughed.

"I doubt they are very welcome in this world either," Uruwashii said sagely.

"No, not really," said Kagome shaking her head. Her large soft ears flopped slightly. "When it was only Inuyasha who was a hanyou, we could often stay in villages. We get chased out more often than not these days."

"I see," said Uruwashii quietly. "Then I suppose you could use this." She reached hand down into pocket and pulled out what looked like a blue amulet.

"Here," she said handing it to Kagome. "Call it my thanks for taking care of Shippo all these years."

"What is it?" Kagome said sensing it was more than a mere necklace. Inuyasha and everyone else looked on suspiciously but didn't say anything.

"Put it on and find out," said Uruwashii with a small smile.

Kagome did as she was bidden. As soon as the amulet had slipped down to her shoulders, her features began to change. Miraculously, her claws shrank to finger nails. Her ears slide down to lay beside her face. Her tail disappeared.

"I'm human again!" she said in an awed voice.

Aijo, Yasuo, and Shippo crowded around to see. Inuyasha came up and held Kagome by the shoulders staring at her as if she was someone he hadn't seen in years (except for her night of the new moon that is). "Kagome?" he said wonderously.

"It's just on the surface," Uruwashii explained. "I created this spell when I was younger to help me visit villages. But I can hold my form even in my sleep now. I don't need it any longer."

Kagome looked across the firelight at the young kitsune with tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said tearfully. She looked at the beautiful blue stone she held in her hand at the end of a gold chain with morning light winking off it. Then she looked at the beautiful young kitsune with brilliant red fur exceedingly soft and silky, emerald green eyes, velvet ears, and a proud air. She smiled.

"Are you going to stay with us Uruwashii?" Kagome said softly.

"Of course," said Uruwashii stretching. "Even if he is a little thief, Shippo is my brother." She looked at him with one eye popped open. "While I'm at it, I might as well make a necklace for Inuyasha and Shippo too."

"Sure," said Kagome speaking for them before anyone could fuss.

Miroku stood up and walked toward the group hanging tightly by the fire. "If that's everything let's go. There's a village up ahead we can buy supplies from. Besides Kagome," he said with a smile, "you can try out your new amulet."

Inuyasha's group packed up and headed off towards the village Miroku had spoken of. On the way, Kagome dropped back and chatted with Sango who was still after everything a dear friend. Uruwashii decided to join them and with a poof of smoke, suddenly became an exceptionally attractive girl of fourteen.

"Uruwashii?" Kagome and Sango asked at the same time. The beautiful girl tipped her head back and smiled.

"I told you I'm a lot older than Shippo, didn't I? This is how old I'd be in human years. I can take care of myself," she said with pride.

"Still, I'm not that strong and Shippo and I would both be better off if I stayed, wouldn't we?"

For the first time in ages, when Kagome wandered into a village she wasn't welcomed by shouts of, "kill the demon!" Instead, they were permitted to enter without a fuss. She grateful for it. She had really begun to see why Inuyasha was so rude all the time since she had gotten her share of rejection these last few years. No one but Sango, Miroku, and the people in Kaede's village treated her civilly. Long ago, she had been respected as a priestess but it seemed those days were gone. Even now, with kids hanging off her she knew she would never regain the exulted position she once had. Still, she was content and was truly enjoying the moment of being almost human again.

"Thank you Uruwashii," she uttered again.

Coming soon! Sesshy meets hanyou-Kagome, Inuyasha gets a cool new ability, Kagome goes back to school, insert of the Sesshy +Rin story, then Taihen comes back and knocks off a few main characters for a while and becomes ruler of the universe (well not really).

I'm thinking I might go back and edit/ insert stuff into chapter 9 which yes I gleaned over. But if any one has any suggestions or requests, I can try to accomodate them.


	49. Chapter 49

In the dim light in the village hut, Kilala's whiskers were drooping gently. She groaned in her sleep in a soft, contained growl.

Sango the demon-slayer twisted herself upright quietly. In the gloom if a non-existent fire and the barest of moonlight trickling in, she gazed over at her feline friend, her most loyal companion. Gently and with ultimate lovingness, she tucked her in again under a small blue blanket. She then stroked the soft silky fur between her ears reassuringly. "It's all right Kilala," she murmured. The demon cat settled down and snuggled deep into the folds of her quilt.

The demon-slayer sat there mulled in the depths of the night. Brushing the tip of her ponytail off her shoulder, the beautiful woman with dark brown should-length locks looked out across the darkness. A silk kimono of blue and green clung around her shoulders, sifting across her instead of rustling in the softness of the night. Quietly, she looked out across the room to where seemingly, a strand of moonlight had slipped in. But no, it was only the light reflected off Inuyasha's hair, his arm wrapped tightly around Kagome. His red haori, now a deep crimson from the influence of night, had its sleeve tucked snugly about her waist, holding her securely. Similarly, Kagome, her hair splaying out unbound in scraggly waves, had her head pressed against his side and a hand curled upon his chest. Their breathing moved up and down softly, like one heartbeat.

Upon several mats strewn about the room, the children lay, snoozing blissfully, caught up in an assortment of dreams. In one corner, Uruwashii sniffed the air and tapped her foot gently, whimpering before yawning and settling down. The light played across her warm features making her light up with a glow like to that of autumn. On another sleeping mat, Shippo was curled up like a little puffball, snoring loudly. Aijo who was now approaching eleven was strewn out with a serious expression. Not far off, her Sango's own Kohaku snoozed; turning over in his sleep and wiping the scraggly locks from his face. A soft smile played against Sango's lips. She longed to press those bangs from his face herself but she stayed where she was caught up in a mother's admiration.

The moments ticked by. Sango moved her head to look at the monk sleeping by her side. His raven bangs clung to his eyes and from this angle she could just make out the outline of one pearl-like ear. Miroku muttered something in his sleep too low for her to hear but Sango interpreted it anyway. She had been sleeping by this pervert too long to not know what was going to happen next. Gently, she took Miroku's hand and pried it away from her buttocks. Softly, she lay it down on the mat and slouching down to take to bed again herself, she entwined her fingers with his. Involuntarily in his sleep, Miroku, clutched her fingers all the more, murmured her name gently, and dropped back into a deep slumber.

Sango lay there looking up at the ceiling. Inside, she was, … confused? She was overwhelmed with a flood of a feeling of happiness, yet underlying that was a sense of anguish. As if a piece was lost. Strangely, the room felt empty, unfilled, lacking someone. Indeed it was. With a soft cry rising up in her throat, Sango sat up again, wrenching her hand free from Miroku's. She sat there rocking back and forth with her arms crossed and her head burried in them. She didn't notice her husband's stirrings.

"Sango?" asked Miroku gently laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. In response, Sango took a deep intake of breath and discovered the silent tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry Miroku," she whispered gently. "It's just that..."

"Shh," interrupted the monk. His purple robe rustled as he pulled himself closer to her and Sango into his arms. She buried her head slightly in his shoulder.

"It's okay," the monk murmured gently. Sango stayed there, soaking in the warm feeling of being loved yet eaten away by the hole in her heart. Behind her, she could hear other stirrings.

"Hey, what's the matter with Sango?" came Inuyasha's voice in an easy tone.

"Just crying again," said Miroku.

Behind her, Sango knew that Inuyasha and Kagome were settling down again, arms wrapped around each other and Kagome's hand hooked in his collar. It was always thus. The moonlight pooled softly over the boards of their sparse wooden hut. The night streamed on and everyone fell into slumber once more.

In the morning, Kagome woke up to visions of waffles. Chocolate chip waffles. With strawberries and dollops of whip-cream on top. Happily, she almost skipped along the roadway, encouraging Sango and Uruwashii to catch up.

"You're in a good mood today," said Uruwashii, along pink tongue sneaking out of her mouth in a yawn. Sleepily, she covered it with a hand and shook her head to clear it. Sango remained silent.

"It's because today I'm finally on my way to go home," she breathed happily. "It's been so long and I've changed so much. I wonder how Souta is. Oh my gosh, he'll be grown up by now," Kagome squeaked.

Sango gave a soft smile for her friend. "Yes," she said encouragingly. "I'm sure he's become someone to make you very proud, Kagome. He always sounded like a sweet boy to me."

The roadway filled with travelers suddenly became silent with everyone except Uruwashii looking down at their feet. Nearly everyone there had guilty feelings mixed up with Kohaku's death. Yet, somehow Sango seemed to be coping with her brother's death. For her, it was a sad memory but with an indefinable strength she refused to keep Kohaku's passing a secret. She openly spoke about it with her son whom she had named after her late junior brother. Still, that wasn't to say that there weren't other secrets that the senior members of this group kept guardedly entombed.

Kagome cleared her throat and returned her thoughts to her approaching homecoming. "Yes," she said to her dear friend Sango cheerfully. "I'm sure he's a good brother now. A BIG brother actually." She laughed. Kagome looked down at herself. With Uruwashii's pendant helping her, she now looked human but she was still sixteen.

"He's going to be older than me isn't he?" said Kagome cheerily. "What a strange twist of fates." The girls all smiled at this.

It was a beautiful day really. The sun shone down form a cloudless sky and the soft dirt beneath their feet scooted and crunched under their shoes. The narrow track they were following was headed in the direction they desired to take, leading them onwards towards Kaede's village or rather the village which they all now called home.

Shyly, Shippo was staying away form his sister and hanging back with his brothers Aijo and Yasuo. Playfully, they chucked dirt clods at each other until Kagome scolded them for the ruckus they were making.

"Sheesh. Shippo is such a …BOY," Uruwashii enunciated looking back at him.

"He sure is," said Kagome proudly. "Err."

"That's okay," said Uruwashii her eyes softening in understanding. She bowed slightly. "Mother."

Kagome smiled sheepishly at her new good friend. She had two best girl friends now.

"By the way Kagome," said Uruwashii pulling what looked like charms out of her pocket. "I placed a spell in these this morning. Here. Take them. One's for Shippo, and one's for Inuyasha."

Carefully, Uruwashii laid two ivory-white squares on Kagome's outstretched palms. Uruwashii's paws were a creamy reddish-orange with soft stripes of pink, so cute and delicate it made Kagome want to hug her and shout "Kiwaii!" Instead, she focused on the charms now laid in her hands.

"What are they?" she asked wanting to confirm her suspicions.

"Duplicates of the charm you now wear around your neck, Kagome," said Uruwashii agreeably but rather proud of herself. "That way, you can all look human as we go into town."

"Thanks Uruwashii," said Kagome heartfully. "Still," she said voicing a concern. "I'm not so sure we need them. Shippo is used to going into villages in his fox-demon form."

"How about Inuyasha" said Uruwashii turning an ear towards the hanyou. He was watching them with narrowed eyes.

Kagome bit her lip. What should she do? She had always said she loved Inuyasha in his hanyou form. Fidgeting with the necklace about her neck, Kagome suddenly felt very ashamed. Was she betraying him acting like this?

"I don't know," she said quietly. "It's something he'll have to decide for himself." Casting a furtive glance behind her back, she gave the charms back to Uruwashii. The female fox-demon promptly bounded over to the hanyou and gave him the charm she had made for him.

"Here," said Uruwashii bossily to Inuyasha. "It will make you look like a human if you attach it around your neck. Stringing it to your rosary necklace should do."

"Keh," said Inuyasha thoughtfully. Not wanting to fight about it, he took the object in his hand. After gazing at it for a few minutes, deeply absorbed in thought, he slid it into his pocket. Wordlessly, he dropped back to shake Uruwashii off. Getting the hint, she returned to Sango and Kagome's group after giving him a curious glance.

The night bore down on the earth. Lustfully, it pressed itself against everything within its fold, until all the earth shivered in the hushed wind of the night. Around the dirt roadway, trees were creaking and swishing back and forth at their tips. A soft roar encircled those souls on the ground plodding along in search of the nearest village, tearing up through their cloaks and creeping into the corners of their sleeves. In the distance, several paper lanterns swayed. Several townspeople jostled by, their robes now muted by the darkness to hues of nearly black. A horse stamped further on.

Inuyasha and his group stared regarded this scene before them, staring down the pathway leading into the village.

"Shall we go?" said Miroku quietly.

"Err, yeah," said Inuyasha awakening from thought. He looked over at Kagome as if in askance.

Kagome nodded her head and gave a weak smile. "Might as well," she said softly. Nervously, she ran her tongue over her now invisible fangs. She could taste them though no one could see them.

Hesitantly, Inuyasha shoved his hand into his pocket. He drew out he gleaming ivory-colored square. Wordlessly and ever so slowly, he lifted it up by its tiny string of red silk and tied it to his rosary necklace. He blinked and looked down at himself as his hands transformed into those of an ordinary human. His hair went black and the Inuyasha known to them on the night of the new moon was back.

"Looking handsome as usual," said Monk Miroku encouragingly.

"Shut up monk!" protested Inuyasha predictably making a fist. Miroku smiled. It was all too easy to provoke the poor hanyou. Some things never changed.

Inuyasha stopped when her felt a hand on his arm. He looked down and saw Kagome's eyes filled with concern. "Are you all right?" she said gently.

"Um, yeah," he said somewhat bashfully. Kagome shook her head. It had been so long since she had seen that behavior from him. Her mind fluttered back to the days she had first met him when he had been an immature, boastful, bashful, insecure hanyou. Not that he wasn't still some of those things.

"Come on," she said helpfully leading him by the hand. Not wanting to be dragged in sight of all the others, he caught up and pressed ahead first. Kagome smiled. "Still the same old ego," she thought.

So they entered the village quietly. No one really paid them that much attention, which was unusual. They were a monk, four children (Shippo wearing a disguise of course), a pet cat, three young women and one scruffily dressed swordsman. Women late in bringing in the day's laundry looked over at them causally and then recommenced their chatting. The wind caught on a paper frame somewhere. A dog yapped in the distance while the smell of chrysanthemums caught in the wind as they passed a closed-up vendor. Somewhere in the interior of a house, children's laughter could be heard and the scolding of a woman. Far off, a musical instrument trailed uncertain twanging as if someone was seeking the right phrase. It was, in essence a night with peace unbroken.


	50. Chapter 50

As they entered, some people still loitered in the streets of a decent-sized town. No one directed more than a moment's glance at the party which they all found rather eerie. Instead, the night's patrolman strode cheerily up to them.

"Hello traveler's," a man in his late thirties said. What business brings you to this town?" His black eyebrows arched up in a curious but unsuspicious way as he regarded all the children.

"On a pilgrimage you might say," said Miroku suavely holding up a hand in monkly gesture. "My friend's family and that of myself are eager to come closer to reaching the ascertains of Buddha."

"Yeah slick Miroku," Inuyasha muttered to himself. There was no reason to hide the fact hat they regularly slayed demons, except for simplicity of course.

The guard smiled at them and gave a rather formal-sounding praise. At Miroku's request, he directed them toward an inn, and then departed.

"Wow," sad Kagome watching the retreating man. Idly, Inuyasha fingered the new attachment on his collar.

Silently, the party trudged up to the inn, reserved a room, and was given prompt service. They all sat down around their dinner trays and absent-mindedly chewed their rice. Then Kagome burst out laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha!" she cried. Tears rolled down her face and she threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck.

"What's the matter Kagome?" he said baffled.

"It's just you," broke out Kagome. "Everyone just thinks we're all a bunch of humans."

Sango raised a hand to her mouth and muffled a soft laugh. Before long, Uruwashii joined in and Miroku gave a chuckle. Inuyasha scowled but then gave a brief toothy grin.

"Yeah, I suppose it's funny," he said uncertainly before relapsing into silent contemplation.

"Whoa. Did Inuyasha say what I think he just did?" asked Miroku looking into Inuyasha's ears as if her expected something to be different there. "Inuyasha, you must really be feeling ill."

"Lay off monk," said Inuyasha irritably. He scooped up some noodles and fed them to Yasuo who had climbed into his lap.

"Mommy," said Yasuo confusedly. "Is today the night of the new moon?" He looked so cute there, his soft black hair tumbling about, his feet scuffing uncertainly, his fist rubbing his dirt-covered nose absently.

"No sweetie," said Kagome cooing to him and picking up her youngest son. "We're using a special trick to make Daddy like today is the new moon. Now it's time for you to take a bath."

"Aijo," she called softly after her. "You and Shippo come all right? Then Uruwashii can have a turn."

"Um," said Aijo awkwardly. "I'm too old for that now Mom. I'm ten remember? I need some space."

Kagome's eyes glazed over and she patted his arm. "Of course Aijo. I'm sorry I forgot this isn't the river back home or anything. You're right."

Sango watched her friend. She had certainly taken a maternal tone. She correctly surmised that Kagome was regretting how fast her kids were growing up. That is all except Shippo who was after all a full demon.

Inuyasha watched Kagome meander off then decided to follow her down eh hall. He saw her and Yasuo safely into the bathhouse and leaned back against it looking at the stars. He looked just like a scruffy kid.

After a bit somebody came out smoking a pipe. He sat down on the veranda overlooking the garden. Peacefully, he knocked the ashes from his pipe, refilled it, and looked over at the young lad standing hands in pockets and gazing up at the moon.

"Hey kid," he said softly letting a trail of smoke wend up above his head and off into the starry night. "You came in with that group of children right?"

Inuyasha shot a fierce glance at the man smoking casually on the porch. "None of your business old man," he snapped suppressing a growl.

"Relax kid," sad the "older" man calmly. "I was just wondering if some of them are yours. I'm a family man myself."

Inuyasha relaxed a bit. Ever cautious though, he rechecked the man's smell and studied his posture. After a minute of examination, he stopped his staring to cross his arms gruffly.

"Yeah," he said irritably. "Three of them."

"Three," said the older man wonderingly rubbing his chin. "You must have started young kid." He cast a furtive glance over at the scruffy swordsman in front of him and saw only a very young man. Two of the kids of the group were about ten; the youngest was not less than five. The stranger shook his head amazedly.

"Yeah, well I'm older than I look," Inuyasha replied icily.

"And much older than he acts," said Miroku emerging from the shadows of the eves, his staff tapping along. He laid a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Forgive my friend here good sir. He's a little rough around the edges but I can testify he's a good man. He's worked with me since I was a young man of sixteen. We're about the same age." Technically, he lied since Inuyasha was well over a hundred years old what with all that time being stuck to a tree, growing up at an immortal's pace, and being mated to Kagome. He scowled and flicked his invisible ears.

"So my friend," said Miroku glibly settling himself on the porch. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," said the older man amiably, flicking ashes from his pipe.

Inuyasha watched from a distance while Miroku queried the man on the porch. They chatted about the county, the region, the politics, the weather, and at long last Kagome slid back the door to the bathhouse carrying Yasuo. Shippo scampered by her side, again in his human disguise. With a huge stretch, Inuyasha followed along behind them.

On the porch, Miroku stood. "Well thanks for the conversation friend," he said as smoothly as ever.

"Any time," said the older man in an agreeable fashion. "I would invite you to go drinking with me, but as you're a monk…"

"Ah yes," said Miroku passionately. "Righteousness forbids excess of any sort."

"Bah," said Inuyasha to Kagome who now stood by him waiting to enter the door. "More like Sango would beat the crap out of him for it." Kagome nodded her head and followed Miroku into the interior of the inn, tagged by Shippo. Inuyasha, however, hesitated at the door. He looked over at the older man.

"You said you're a family man," sad Inuyasha grimly. "Have you ever seen or heard anything about a girl named Taihen? A child with black and white ears like a dog?"

The man on the porch looked surprised. "No never. Although from the sound of it she'd be a damn demon like that hanyou that roams the land looking for jewel shards. I came across him years ago as a soldier under out general. An abomination that one, with ears like a dog."

Anger flashed in Inuyasha's eyes. Without warning, he yanked the old soldier up by the collar and glared at him threateningly. He curled up the corners of his mouth to bare invisible fangs.

"I don't give a damn what you think about me old man," said Inuyasha growling. "But don't you dare say anything about my daughter." Unceremoniously, he dumped the old soldier onto his rump and stalked off into the house. The old soldier sat there stunned for a minute. "What was all that about?" he wondered before he had smoked too much. Shrugging the incident off, he retired.

In the morning they took off in an atmosphere similar to that of their arrival. It was quiet… subdued…ordinary (well ordinary for other people anyway). Gone was the charged atmosphere and the panicked shouts of, "it's a demon, it's a demon!" Instead the townspeople milled about them in a state of complacency.

It was all so peculiar to Inuyasha. Here there were no people shouting at him. No children throwing rocks. No angry villagers with sickles and pitchforks. No samurai warriors sweeping down to cut off his head. To him, this was utterly eerie.

Curiously, Inuyasha stopped to look at one of the multitude of stalls lain out along the town's shopping district. In it, there was thread, needles, and other sewing accessories for mending garments. More importantly and in prominent display there was square after square of clothe neatly hung out over bamboo poles. He was looking around with a guilty expression when a plump, middle-aged woman called out to him. "Would you like to buy some fabric dearie?" she said quibbling out in a merchant's tone. "Something for your beautiful wife perhaps? I know she'll just love it." A professional smile plastered her lips.

Inuyasha blanched. He wasn't used to salesmen ands not used to saying no. So like a moth drawn t fire he steeped in to politely stare at all the fabrics

It was beautiful. Awe-inspiring even. Standing in the shade of fourteen different patterns, Inuyasha suddenly felt like he was wrapped within the fold of his mother's arms. Her arms, held loose in a fourteen-layer kimono. An explosion of lively color seemed to dance around him, a wind-blown field of wildflowers. Unconsciously, he closed his eyes and sniffed the air, thinking somehow to catch the scent of perfumed oils distilled from…"

"Can I do something for you good sir," said the saleswoman breaking him form his trance-like state.

"Err, yeah," said Inuyasha waking. He wandered to the corner and about to leave, caught sight of an exotic fabric. It had a complex, attractive pattern on it but most importantly it was green. Somehow it reminded him of Kagome's skirt. But it was so much more elegant than that.

Inuyasha hesitated. "Keh," he said to himself with displeasure. "Kagome doesn't need that. She'll be going home to her era and she'll get everything she needs there. Still."

Idly, he fingered the fabric. "It would be nice to get Kagome something. From me. I've never bought anything from a store before."

Inuyasha gulped, uncertain what to do. The attendant saw him tense and smiled.

"Now dearie, come over here," she said kindly. "If you're not sure what to choose, I have the answer right here. Shh, it's a secret," she said winking.

The woman reached down behind a corner and pulled out a box. She opened it conspiratorially. Overcome with curiosity, Inuyasha looked down in it. What he saw took his breath away. Inside was the most elegant woman's kimono he had eve seen. With stitchings like snow, it sparkled like a silver mist with waters of blue. He rapidly decided that this was no ordinary fabric. It had to be…

"Youkai fabric, my lord," said the cloth vender quietly. "From one kitsune to a hanyou I think it would look lovely on your mate Kagome." Inuyasha stopped like a deer in the headlights. He sniffed the air.

"I remember you," he stated eventually.

"I'm Aya," said the female kitsune happily. "Your son Shippo played with my daughters remember? If you have some time to stay Milord, please come visit us in our home. It's not much of a den, being human as it is, but it suits us. In the meantime, please accept this gift to you my lord."

Before he could protest, Inuyasha found the youkai fabric sliding into his arms. He held it up unhappily, his eyebrows arched dup in pain.

"I can't," he burst out finally. "I wanted to buy Kagome something from me. There's no sense if you just give it to me." Hastily, he tried to shove it back.

"No, no," said the clothe vender. "If that's how it will be I will accept payment for it my lord. But please consider visiting my daughters and myself. It would mean so much to Choko and Eriko."

"Heh," said Inuyasha disagreeably. Suddenly, he saw a way out of this.

"All right," he said abruptly. "You give the dress to Kagome for me and we'll come by to visit" (Man he's been around Miroku too long).

Aya smiled. "Of course lord Inuyasha," she said happily. "By the way, your friends are standing right over there."

She pointed a finger right t outside her booth. Apparently, they had trooped back to find the missing hanyou. Kagome scotched around the draping fabric and looked at he kimono in his hands.

"Oh Inuyasha!" she exclaimed. "Is that for me!" Actually, she had overheard the last part of their conversation and they both knew it.

Kagome pounced on the beautiful kimono and spread it out for her to see. Sango and Uruwashii ooed and awed over it. Aya smiled over at the cluster of girls.

"Well, Lady Kagome," she said softly. "It seems you've changed a lot these years. It is a pleasure to meet you."

They stopped for a fortnight for a friendly visit with Aya, Choko, and Eriko. Shippo was thrilled. Uruwashii teased him about having too many girlfriends. Aijo and Yasuo gave their brother some time alone and watched curiously. They were not to be left out however. Soon, after Aya's insistence, everyone including Kohaku Sango's son went out to a magically enclosed courtyard here they could rough-house.

"Be careful of the stone lanterns," Aya called out moderately uneasy that her formal garden was rapidly becoming fire-strewn. "Oh no," she said causally as a blade sliced through one reducing it to rubble. "There goes another one. I guess that's what you get form taking wild creatures out of the woods."

"I'm so sorry," said Kagome apologetically. Sango nodded. After all, Kohaku was out there too wrestling a feisty kitsune to the ground with his staff.

"It's quite all right," said Aya. "Those maples are hardly nine years old. The garden is quite new. Not many merchants have indoor spaces these days. It's a novelty that some of us kitsunes have. We truly so need a bit of nature even though some of us have sneaked into human habitations"

A loud boom echoed throughout the hall and Aya waved a hand. "It's a good thing for concealment spells however or half the samurai's in the town would be here right now. I suppose it's time for dinner."

They all sat down to a wonderfully cooked dinner of wild-caught bird and rice. It was a pleasant affair, with everyone smiling and talking about whatever their hearts desired. Towards the end of dinner however, as Miroku and Inuyasha sat back to converse about their journey and Aya cleared away the dishes, Kagome crept off only to come back wearing her elegant new kimono.

"Ooh," Choko, Eriko, Sango, and Uruwashii shouted. "You look so beautiful!"

"Thank you," said Kagome politely but with a beaming smile. She pulled off the amulet from around her neck and revealed her hanyou form.

"Ooh!" squealed Choko and Eriko anew. "You're incredible!"

Inuyasha thought so too. His mouth dropped open at sight of Kagome revealed in her hanyou form, absolutely aglitter and aglow.

"Lucky dog," said Miroku suggestively and smirking at Inuyasha's reaction.

Kagome giggled. Aijo (who was now over ten) turned his head away and stuck out his tongue pretending to vomit while his mother snuck up to Inuyasha and rubbed noses with him.

"Mom," he whined embarrassedly. "Go do that somewhere else."

"Be quiet," Kagome snapped.

"Yeah," said Choko and Eriko gazing up at them form their elbows with dreamy star-struck eyes. "So romantic." As one, they looked over at Shippo with a furtive glance. He pretended he wasn't looking. The tow kitsune girls giggled and poked each other with their fingers until they roiled into a fit of laughter.

"Ewe," said Aijo unhappily. "Girls are weird." Yasuo didn't say anything.

Aijo suddenly found Miroku beside him. "Just wait until you're a little older," said Miroku winking. "You'll change your mind then."

"Hentai!" Sango suddenly shouted chasing Miroku threateningly with her boomerang. "If you utter one word of corruption to that boy I'll…"

"Calm down Sango, please!" pleased Miroku deciding to evade her by stepping out into the streets. He thought he could escape by going out in public where wives don't beat husbands. Unfortunately, he was wrong. When he reached the earthen street Sango smacked him in the head effectively knocking him out. Then she dragged him back into the house by his collar, much to the shock of a dozen by-standers.

In the morning, Aya saw them off with regret. Goodbye Lady Kagome," she said waving a paw. "Take care of yourself."

"Thanks for everything," said Kagome bowing.

"Don't worry about it dear. Just take care of that robe. It's so fitting for you to have it, with you being Inuyasha's mate and all."

"What do you mean?" asked Kagome fingering it.

"Well," said Aya with a sparkle in her eye. "That is a robe made form fur of the fire-rat. My grandmother made it at the peak of her ability. My great-great-great grandmother made the original robe which Inuyasha now wears."

"Oh my," said Kagome intaking a breath. "I had no idea it was so valuable. I can't take it now."

"Take it," said Aya firmly. "Nothing would make me or my kin happier than to see you wearing it my dear. It's a branch of magic of which we're very proud."

Inuyasha grimaced and sniffed his robe exaggeratedly. "Great. Why does everything smell like kitsunes now?"

"Come on," said Kagome shoving Inuyasha forward. "Mate."

"Baka," Inuyasha responded.

"Osawari," said Kagome winning the argument.

OKAY EVERYBODY I'm CREATING a 2nd sequel now called Years of Flourish. Reign by the Lost Daughter is the Third sequel because this story is so long. Please, please pretty please look for it and send me reviews.


	51. Chapter 51

It was very busy on the road out of town that day. In fact, the traffic was so thick that Inuyasha decided that he would rather journey along the rooftops and leapt up there. Inwardly, Kagome agreed with his method but she sat him anyway.

"Inuyasha," she said crossly as he sat up from the sit. "We're supposed to be faking being human. Besides, we don't want to act like burglars."

"What has that got to do with anything?" he groused.

"She's right Inuyasha," said Miroku. "Let's just continue along the ground for a little bit."

Kilala, who was ready to fly, gave out a soft disappointed moan and Sango rubbed her ears comfortingly.

The group continued walking on. They came to a long wooden bridge arching up like a sliver of the moon. The kids scampered along the railing and threw stones in the water. Inuyasha kept out a wary ear. Sango watched the shimmering minnows.

As they reached the other side of the bridge, a samurai on horseback suddenly came riding up. He pulled up his reins before them.

"So travelers," he demanded. "Are you from around here?"

They looked at each other and Miroku took up the lead. "No, not at all. We are actually from a mountain village far away from here in the region of Wasashi."

The samurai stared down at them arrogantly and with suspicion.

"I see you have a sword on your belt," he said to Inuyasha gesturing a hand. "Tell me young man, whose retainer are you?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes but they could all see where this was going. Farmers didn't have swords. Nobles and their retainers did. Those who didn't belong to any ruling house fell under the categories of mercenaries, robbers, and spies.

"I don't belong to any house," back talked Inuyasha his hand on his hilt. "I am my own master." The samurai drew his sword in answer to his cheeky response and held it out threateningly toward Inuyasha.

"Tell me bastard," said the samurai, " are you stupid enough to start a battle in front of your own family?"

"Be sensible, Inuyasha," pleaded Miroku inwardly.

Aijo growled in his throat at the samurai. Then he noticed just in time Yasuo who was trying to get past him. "Oh no you don't!" he said to the six year old.

"Let me at him, let me at him," said Yasuo furiously pounding his fists. "He insulted Daddy!"

"I'm giving you one last chance swordsman," said the samurai firmly. "Tell me, to whom do you give tribute?"

"I don't pay taxes," said Inuyasha flippantly.

The samurai took that as his answer. "Then prepare yourself," he shouted causing townspeople nearby to flee. Kagome clutched Yasuo's hand and Inuyasha's group drew away to give him some space for the upcoming battle. They were used to this sort of this need. Inuyasha nodded his head gratefully.

After the women and children drew away, the samurai tock this as his signal to act. He charged down on the offending swordsman with his blade sweeping down to sever his throat. Then, to his immense surprise the young man in front of him suddenly ripped the biggest sword he had ever seen from out of nowhere and leapt up into the sky. With a resounding crunch, the hanyou stopped midair balancing himself on the two newly crossed blades. The samurai quivered, trying to hold up the immense sword and the weight of the individual wielding it. Luckily but unbeknownst to him, there was no weight in the sword because Inuyasha wasn't channeling any youkai into it. Past the crossed blades, and arrogant smirk spread across the face of the mysterious swordsman.

A half second later, they young man spun around launching his feet out in an enormous kick to the side of his horse. The samurai suddenly found himself dumped from his seat as his horse was pushed out from under him. Simultaneously, the figure caught him by the fabric and yanking him from the saddle and dumping him to the ground. Before the samurai could even hit the earth with a slam, the young figure continued with the momentum of his kick. As he spun through the air in a tightly wrought circle, so did the horse until it found itself right side up again. After turning 360 degrees it landed on its feet with a nervous jolt.

"Inuyasha," shouted Kagome angrily from the rapidly growing crowd. "Don't be cruel to horses."

"Keh," said Inuyasha disdainfully. "It's all right Kagome." He patted the thing on the rump. Understandably it ran away.

He samurai watched his retreating horse, everything still in a bit of a haze. He staggered upright. "Who the hell are you?" he croaked.

"He's Lord Inuyasha," said Yasuo happily waving his fists still within Aijo's grasp. "Myouga says he's second heir to the Lord of the Western Lands." Aijo clapped a hand over his oblivious brother's mouth.

"I see," said the samurai blinking. What did he mean by Western Lands? "But what is a lord doing outside his kingdom?"

"Never mind what he said," said Inuyasha firmly. "I'm just passing though. I ain't a spy or nothing."

The samurai looked at the young man in front of him. He attempted to straighten his shoulder and regain his voice. "Concerning my duties, lord Inuyasha, I must request that you come to my lord's manor."

"Isn't necessary," said Inuyasha dismissively. "We're just a traveling band of demon-exterminators."

"Exterminators?" said the samurai his eyes knitted up in confusion. "May I ask your father's name?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Wouldn't mean anything to you human," he mocked.

Inuyasha got an earful when they made camp that night. He and Kagome went to talk by the lake which means he got sat a half dozen times while Kagome worked her vexation out on him.

"What were you thinking?" she asked. "We were almost out of there and you had to go and pick fights!"

"Well if we had gone on the roof like I wanted to, this wouldn't have happened."

"Sit, sit, sit boy!" he yelped. Then, after Inuyasha was nicely in the ground she sat next to him. "You know," she said more calmly. "I was concerned how you would hold up in general."

"You mean you thought I couldn't take that guy? I'm…"

"Sit," said Kagome. "You're much stronger I know that. But what I was worried about is you. How you would do in your human form."

"Bah," said Inuyasha pulling himself up yet again. "I could do that easy. But."

"But what Inuyasha?" asked Kagome curiously?

Inuyasha paused then grabbed hold of the charm tied to his rosary beads. With a violent tug, he surprised Kagome by pulling off the charm. Then he shocked her even more by chucking it into the lake.

"What was that for Inuyasha?" screeched Kagome osawariing him again. "That was Uruwashii's present to you."

"Keh," said Inuyasha pulling himself out of the ground. "I have no use for it."

Kagome stared at her hanyou solemnly for a moment. "So this is what this is about," she breathed. Wordlessly, she slipped the amulet from around her neck revealing her hanyou form. She slid herself on Inuyasha's alp and shocked him by straddling him.

"Now tell me," she said kissing his cheek and nibbling on his chin. "Why were you so upset to look human?"

Inuyasha shivered under her touch. Instinctively, he curled his arms up around her backside to wrap her curls. Far from pacified, he ran his hands up along her back to rest at her shoulders. Sighing, he lowered them to hold her back from him gently.

"I'm sorry Kagome," he said looking into her eyes. "It's just that I don't want to hide who I am. They hate me for what I am. I'm not gonna pretend I'm not that person. More than that, I'm not going to be ashamed of my father."

Kagome sighed and tickled her nose with him. "My proud koishii," she said kissing him on the nose gently. She pulled back and looked at him.

"It's just a trick you know. Just for a day or so. We weren't going to make it permanent, like these." Kagome pointed up at her own floppy ears. They were slightly large than Inuyasha so they had a feminine look to them.

Inuyasha grinned back at her. "Ah yes. Those are permanent aren't they?"

"Yeah so stop complaining about it," she railed at him. "I adapted didn't I?"

"And marvelously so," Inuyasha purred.

Kagome giggled and laid herself forward across his chest. Then she reached up a hand and rubbed his soft furry ears.

"Ah," Inuyasha sighed involuntarily. Kagome got a mischievous grin and stopped abruptly. Inuyasha growled slightly.

"Geeze Kagome, why'd you stop?" he complained vocally.

Kagome continued to smile mischeviously. She raised her head to stare directly in his eyes stopping nose to nose. The tips of her fangs were visible and he let out a throaty purr of her own.

"How about we make a deal Inuyasha," she stared. "I'll rub your ears if you make love to me."

"Geeze Kagome," said Inuyasha to this. "All you had to do was ask." In a flash, Inuyasha turned her over onto the ground and pinned her beneath him. With an eep, Kagome found herself being assailed by kisses. After the initial shock she melted and allowed his tongue to enter. He pulled back, lapping the side of his mouth.

"Let's go somewhere else koishii. Somewhere more enjoyable."

"You mean let's go running?" said Kagome hopefully her demon aura thudding to the surface.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha lowering his head to whisper in her hear causing her to tremble. "I we hurry we can make it back to the house before they do."

They both stood up. Kagome stood there and put a thumb to her mouth. She scrunched up her face thinking.

"You know Inuyasha. We should probably tell them we're going first."

Inuyasha sighed. "I guess you're right Koishii." He pulled her into a tight hug about he waist. Then he dragged her off by the hand.

"You know," said Kagome as they pushed though the bush. "We could make a few stops on the way."

Inuyasha replied with a sensual growl.

Back with Miroku and Sango, or rather just beyond their earshot all the children were hanging around.

"Man," said Aijo sighing. "Today was good day. Did you see Father send that horse flying?"

"Or spinning rather," said Kohaku sensibly.

Uruwashii yawned and picked up Shippo like he was a cute plush toy. "I didn't think it was nice at all," she said disdainfully. "Did you see how frightened that poor horse was? If he wasn't going to eat it, he had no cause for attacking it."

"He was attacking the guy remember?" said Shippo angrily struggling to break free from his elder sister's death grip. He popped out and rolled away.

"Aijo," said Yasuo yanking on his brother's hakama. "Why was that man shouting at Daddy?"

"Cause we don't pay taxes," said Aijo beginning to snicker.

"You know, that's right," said Shippo gives a toothy grin right back at his favorite brother. "Why would a half-demon, or a full demon, ha, ha, ha."

"Oh come one," said Uruwashii haughtily. "We were all in disguise thanks to my amulets. So it was impossible for them to tell use from ordinary villagers."

"That's true," said Aijo settling down. He sighed and sat on a rock, Yasuo sneaking up to cuddle by him. Aijo looked down at his brother and sighed.

"So what are we going to do now?" said Aijo.

"Dunno," said Uruwashii shrugging her shoulders. "I think I'll go back to campsite. Miroku and Sango could use some help in making lunch."

"You do that," said Aijo raising an eyebrow.

The boys sat there in the summer sun the cicada's buzzing about them. They soaked in the warmth of the sunshine and threw stones into the grass. Eventually, Uruwashii came back.

"The food will be done in less than an hour," she said importantly in her big-sister mode. She sat down with the others.

As they waited there, enjoying the summer sun yet being bored with nothing to do and absolutely no initiative, they suddenly became aware of a distant aura.

"Who's that?" said Aijo and Kohaku simultaneously. The two boys, about a years' difference between them, bolted up and stared the horizon. Shippo stood there with his tail splaying out.

"Th-th-th-that's Sesshomaru," he sputtered out. "He's really bad!"

"Sesshomaru?" said Aijo curiously. "Isn't that…"

"Yeah, he's young uncle all right," said Shippo with his eyes flashing, "but he's bad news. Every time he gets near Inuyasha, err our father he tries to kill him and take his sword."

"That's awful," said Uruwashii horrified.

"Yeah," said Shippo. "You should have seen him. He punched a hole right though Father's gut, pow, and left him there to die."

Aijo's eyes narrowed. "Well if he's an enemy we won't let him have his way will we?"

"No way!" said little Yasuo triumphantly holding up a fist. Uruwashii shook her head and placed a paw on Shippo's head.

"If it means standing up to him, we'll have to be united about it," she said sagely. "I wouldn't want my little brother to be hurt." Shippo grimaced.

Kohaku nodded. "I think that my Father and Mother will help us too," he said looking up at sky. Despite their brave words, everyone ducked behind the boulders they were sitting on when an ominous cloud appeared over the horizon.

"Children, are you all right?" yelled Sango running into the clearing with her Hirikatose in her hand. Miroku flanked her as usual, carrying his jangling staff.

"Something's coming!" yelled Shippo pointing out the incoming storm cloud. "It smells like Sesshomaru!"

The demon-hunter's eyes narrowed knowing that this would indeed be dangerous confrontation. Where were Inuyasha and Kagome? Behind her, Kilala transformed into a large a cat and roared and she burst into flames.

Out in the woods, Inuyasha and Kagome felt a presence approaching. They looked at each other with wild eyes. "Oh no," they said simultaneously before rushing towards it.

Back in the clearing, Sesshomaru landed on Ah and Um. Evidently, he had left Jakin and Rin somewhere. Elegantly, he dismounted and stood in front of Sango and Miroku.

"Where is Inuyasha?" He uttered with his habitual cruel voice. "I have business to discuss with him."

"You don't have anything to do with Daddy," screamed Yasuo throwing out a fist. Once again, Aijo clapped a hand to his mouth.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and looked at the brat, breathing in the wind. Then, choosing to disregard him, he turned to the monk and the demon-slayer.

"If you do not tell me," he breathed. "I will find him on my own."

"Just try it!" said Aijo dropping his hand from Yasuo's mouth. "You're Sesshomaru right? My Uncle?" He stressed the last part like it was a cuss word.

Sesshomaru didn't like this kid's tone so in an unexpected move, he slide across the ground so quickly one could hardly catch any blur showing his motion. In less than a second's time he was holding Aijo up by the collar and staring icily into his defiant eyes.

"Just like my worthless half-brother. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that his offspring should possess such an arrogant tongue as well."

"You put him down!" shouted Shippo angrily. In a second's passing he shouted out, "Fox fire!" and sent a huge spiral of blue flames towards Sesshomaru which he merely dodged.

"Are you so very desirous to die, kitsune?" he said rather mildly.

With an angry growl, Aijo slashed through fabric Sesshomaru was holding him by and dropped to the ground. Sesshomaru let the pup do this actually. He wasn't really out to kill him so much as punish his for his impudence. However, he did not expect what came next. (Truly Inuyasha's children and companions were as senseless as he.)

Aijo pulled out the sword Totosai had made for him from his belt and held it out threateningly. Anxious to back him up, two kitsunes sent attacks towards him simultaneously, Shippo throwing his daggers and Uruwashii sending out what looked like golden flames. Aijo let loose what appeared to be a mini wind-scar attack while Yasuo hide behind a boulder.

Blasted head-on by three separate attacks, Sesshomaru looked greatly annoyed. He took a step forward and flung out a whip to strike at the feet the Aijo and the other's causing them to jump back.

At that very moment Inuyasha came flying over the treetops and panicked at what he saw.

"Aijo!" he hollered. "Yasuo!"

"Shippo!" Kagome added.

Tearing out the Tetsusiaga, he let loose a giant wind-scar and Kagome added a spiritual arrow to it. When the dust cleared the proud dog demon lord was laid flat out on his back. The kids all jumped up and down celebrating while their parents landed in front of a stunned Sango and Miroku.

"Uh, Inuyasha," said Miroku. "As much as I hate to say this, I think that your attacks were unjustified."

"Unjustified?" exclaimed Inuyasha scooping up a celebrating Yasuo. "That bastard brother of mine was attacking my pups!"

"Well actually Inuyasha," said Sango quietly. "They actually attacked him first."

"Oh," was all he could reply.

They all looked through the quavering dust to see poor Uncle Sesshomaru lying mangled on the ground unconcious.

"Ah-hem." Said Inuyasha "Well if you don't mind Miroku, maybe you and Sango could fly these kids somewhere while Kagome wait for him to wake up."

Miroku nodded. "That sounds like a good idea Inuyasha."

Next time: Boonza and feeding Shessy Ramen Noodles


	52. Chapter 52

I do not own the series or the characters. Rumiko Takahashi does.

Sesshomaru found himself awakening towards a distant light. Fuzzy, yet imperceptibly three he frowned at it. Where was he? He tried to wrench himself up only to find he couldn't move at all. Unsuccessfully, he tried to snarl. What was this? Surely this Sesshomaru was not this weak!

With a greater attempt at flailing, he stopped. What was this? He looked down on himself and with an odd sort of horror found himself wearing that hideous, overly short kimono only Inuyasha's bitch would wear. Even more terrifying than that, he didn't seem to be himself at all. Somehow, though he couldn't move at all he lifted his hands and stared at them. They were human. They were human! How dare they.

Trembling, he suddenly became aware of the sounds around him. The scents. Somehow he had the sudden sensation that he was being carried in the arms of his damn brother. With a sickened feeling to his stomach, he realized he could smell that woodsy, damnably human stench all over him as well as that of the fire-rat robe. Even worse, he began to make out voices somewhere above the fog, above what he could see.

"Damn!" came that obnoxious, boorish, bragful voice. "Why do I always end up carrying the injured?" A girly bubblish voice broke out in answerance.

"Because you're good at it. Besides the rain will be coming down soon." She paused. "Besides that it's kind of your fault."

"My fault!" protested the detestable hanyou. "It was your fault too!" The female's voice paused again, this time for half a minute before replying. "Yeah I guess we were kind rough."

"Well," said the hanyou smugly. "I expect my generosity to be rewarded, koishii (my beloved)."

Sesshomaru felt like vomiting. "Make it stop, make it stop!" he thought. Wildly, he sought to flail his arms. Then to his utmost anguish he heard a sweet, simpering playful voice say beside him or from him he couldn't tell which, "all right Inuyasha, I'll make sure I reward you amply for your services on my behalf."

With a flood of relief, Sesshomaru suddenly realized he felt the rain coming down and flooding his shoulders. It dripped down his sleek hair, reawakening him and rejuvenating his idle youkai. He snapped his eyes open, truly for the first time and threw out his claws just missing the chin of his half-brother who leaned back. Wriggling furiously, he just managed to tilt sideways and was dropped unceremoniously on the muddy earthen floor. Not a good day for him.

"What is going on here," he managed to croak out. His eyes were glazed red with injury and he wondered what on earth had happened to him to incapacitate every bone and muscle in his body.

He heard Inuyasha's wench speak near him. "I'm sorry Sesshomaru. We saw you attacking the kids and we thought it was a serious argument. Sorry." She seemed so woeful and repentant in her tone. Disgustingly so. Damn humans.

"What do you mean it wasn't serious!" cried out his half-brother furiously. "He was attacking our pups Kagome! Doesn't that mean anything to you!"

"Yes it does," said Kagome firmly. "But that doesn't mean he's the only one at fault here. Sango and Miroku both said that the pups jumped on him like they all hated him."

"Keh," said Inuyasha smugly. "Well I guess it shows that they're my sons, doesn't it?

"He's YOUR brother," said Kagome defiantly. "And their uncle. There's no reason to hate him on first sight."

"Oh yeah?" said Inuyasha scowling. "I can think of a few good reasons."

"Inuyasha, sit!" the female cried. Sesshomaru became aware of a spray of mud suddenly spattering his already dampened and clay-caked robes.

"Don't worry Sesshomaru," said Kagome kneeling next to him. "We're just going to take you somewhere dry where we can tend to your wounds."

"I don't need any help from you, mortal," said the proud youkai lord harshly trying to stand up. Why wouldn't his feet move? In fact, he couldn't even keep his back straight and losing the battle to stay aloft, slid to the ground in a haze in tune to the popping of mangled bones. They had really done a number on him.

"Don't worry Sesshomaru," said that cursed wench again. "Inuyasha will carry you."

Sesshomaru felt a massive headache about all this. If only they would leave. Now.

"I don't need any help from you, thank you," he said scorchingly and with great irony stressed on the word "thank you". Why should he, the great taiyoukai be thankful to anyone?

However, he wasn't done yet. In a tone that was utterly contemptuous he lashed out, "I don't need any filthy half-breed touching me."

Kagome sighed. "Fine then," she said moving before him. "If you hate Inuyasha so much, I'll carry you for a while."

"Eh?" With utmost shock Sesshomaru found himself being hauled up in the air like a sack of grain and flung onto the wench's back. He decided abruptly that he must be delirious because not only was a mortal girl manhandling him (wait why was she a girl?) she smelt part youkai.

"Tell me girl," he said as sourly as he could manage though the wind caught in his chest causing him to wince. "Have I crossed over into hell without knowing?"

"Yeah," came Inuyasha's blathe voice laughing mirthlessly. "Hell for me that is."

"Inuyasha!" scolded the wench who was carrying him, causing Sesshomaru's head to swirl about sickeningly. He passed out again.

When Sesshomaru reawoke, it was to a drip-dripping outside a small cave. A stone-contained fire roared nearby his bed, crackling out wrathfully. Beside it, a young (wait was he seeing things) female with dog-ears and tail was poking sticks into the fire. His damned half brother was snoozing, his back propped up against some corner with the Tetsusiaga held protectively in his grasp. Sesshomaru could see his ears flicker towards him, though he made no other move to show he had awakened.

Sesshomaru just stared for a moment, soaking in his surroundings. Behind him lay his furry pelt with hair so long it looked like a feathery boa. It comforted him, just like the last time when he had been lain out in the woods suffering after being blasted by Inuyasha's windscar, or when he had lain refusing to moan while the stub where he had lost his arm had healed. Damn that Inuyasha. Still, he ignored his situation for a moment to breathe in the slight fragrance that had been ground into his pelt by Rin from all those times she had snuck in a cuddle with her favorite pillow. The fur reminded Sesshomaru of his father as well.

Sesshomaru looked up again and his movement caught the attention of the young female. Turning, the demon lord was amazed to see she looked just like the human girl Kagome all those years ago when he had first met her, albeight with some decidedly demonistic features such as fangs, ears, claws, a tail, and well a scent that was somewhat confusing as if composed of one and a half persons.

"Hi there," said the woman softly. "How are you feeling Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru regarded her through half-hooded eyes. "You are the girl named Kagome, correct?" he uttered.

"Mm," she said nodding. "I've gone through a lot of changes since you've seen me last. It's kind of hard to explain but I'm hanyou now. It's all Inuyasha's fault of course," she added tersely turning to glare at him.

"How do you figure that one?" said the hanyou rudely abandoning his pretense of sleep.

"Hm," said Kagome pursing her lips. She looked back at Sesshomaru and he of course, looked straight back unflinchingly and with a proud glare. Kagome rose to her feet.

"All right," she said dismissively. "I'll make some soup," she said plunging her hand into a battered yellow bag. Rummaging around, she extracted several vegetables, some neatly wrapped game, and some cooking implements. At the very bottom, her hand contacted with something unexpected. As Sesshomaru watched, her eyes became very round and in slow motion, she pulled something from the bag. Staring at it dumbstruck, she clutched a round white container with a covering of paper which had writing on it. Sesshomaru sensed that the cave had suddenly become very tense.

"Hey," said Inuyasha thrusting himself to his feet suddenly with a rather anxious tone. "That's mine. I've been saving it."

"For NINE years, Inuyasha?" said Kagome forcefully shielding it away from his grasp.

"Hey," barked Inuyasha in reply. "It hasn't passed its expiration-date-thingy."

"What?" said Kagome surveying it. "Yeah. That's kind of disturbing actually. Why would you want to eat such a thing?"

"Because its MINE," Inuyasha whined. "It's still good and it's the LAST ONE. I've been saving it because it's special."

"You don't have to make such a fuss about it," said Kagome defensively. "We'll be going back soon anyway, so we might as well give it to Sesshomaru. He's sick so maybe it would be good for him." That did it.

"WHAT!" yelled Inuyasha making the cave shake. "You'll do no such thing.""

Kagome then did something completely unexpected. She snatched the Tetsusiaga right out from between Inuyasha's hands. With a quick flip, she landed ten feet away glaring triumphantly. Sesshomaru watched with amusement.

"What will it be Inuyasha?" she said tormentingly. "The noodles or the Tetsusiaga?" she danced the sword up in the air temptingly. Then she did the same with the noodles moving to open them.

"Wh… stop this Kagome!" said a suddenly frightened Inuyasha. His eyes bounced up and down following the progress of the objects.

"What's it gonna be, Inuyasha?" said Kagome mischievously. "Should I give Sesshomaru the ramen... or the sword?" Sesshomaru really didn't mind if he got neither. This was proving all too entertaining.

"Kagome" whined Inuyasha loudly. His eyes darted from the sword to the noodles not quite believing her. She was teasing him that's all, he decided.

"Kagome!" he shouted loudly holding out a hand. "Just give me the damn noodles!"

With a wide smile, Kagome tossed the foam container over to Sesshomaru's lap and he managed to snag it in his claws. The taiyoukai blinked and almost smiled. So this container was more important that the Tetsusiaga huh?

"Kagome!" exploded Inuyasha at the sudden betrayal. "I can't believe you! That's it I'm leaving! You can find another mate!" With an angry flap of fabric he leapt out the cave door.

Kagome however was unfazed. She picked up the bamboo water container and took a sip. The youkai lord regarded her.

"Aren't you concerned about your mate leaving you?" he asked quietly.

"Nah," said Kagome calmly. "He'll be back. He likes sex more than ramen noodles," she said blandly. Ah-hem everybody.

Half an hour later, Inuyasha was back, leaning up against his post once more. Vehemently, he stared at Sesshomaru who had purposely waited until he retuned for Kagome to "prepare" his meal for him. Smiling, she filled up the container with hot water for him. Sesshomaru really didn't know what the big deal was really; it was just human food after all. But anything to get at his half-blood brother. With a triumphant smirk, Sesshomaru lifted up a hot noodle to his mouth with one of his claws and sucked it in. Angrily, Inuyasha ground his teeth. This was all too good. Sesshomaru decided her had better eat more slowly.

After an anguishing couple of hours, the great taiyoukai finally finished eating his noodles and threw the container in the fire so his hapless half-brother couldn't even look at the label. Overall, Sesshomaru was content with the opportunity Kagome had afforded him (after all she knows just how to get on a person's good side). Additionally, the noodles weren't half bad. Maybe he should try human food more often.

"So," said Kagome settling down on her knees to talk disregarding a huffing Inuyasha. "What was it you came to talk to us about Sesshomaru? Sango-chan said that you had mentioned coming to see us about something." Sesshomaru stared at her coldly. Grudgingly, he closed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak.

"Truthfully priestess, or rather hanyou, I came to speak to Inuyasha." He stressed out his brother's name like a dirty swear, but he continued.

"I wished to speak on Naraku's plans. It seems that he has disappeared for some time. Clearly, he has altered his strategy. Perhaps he is biding his time, waiting for some of his enemies to diminish in threat while he gathers strength himself."

"You mean Sango and Miroku?" said Kagome anxiously. Inuyasha looked at her curiously regarding her strained face.

"Precisely," said Sesshomaru coldly. "Moreover, he is taking advantage of the closeness between allies and their desire to settle down. You yourself have changed priestess, although strangely it is not what had been expected. Instead of being an aging mortal burdened by children, somehow you have retained your powers and gained those of a half-demon."

"It is rather odd," said Kagome holding a finger up to her chin. "Kaede said that most priestesses lose their ability with their purity. But perhaps because I did not gain it through training or because of the way Kikyou died I stayed a priestess just the same."

"I see," said Sesshomaru shutting his eyes. "You truly are a fool, aren't you Inuyasha. Putting your woman in danger because of your weakness."

"Hey!" said Inuyasha rising to his feet at pace to match his rising anger. "It's none of your business, jackass, so you can stay the hell out of it."

"Inuyasha!" yelled Kagome angrily. "Sit boy." With a loud wham, the half-demon went into the cave floor.

"Hum," said Sesshomaru coldly regarding the hanyou now sprawled out. "It suddenly occurs to me Inuyasha that perhaps you had other intentions in making this priestess your woman. Unfortunately for you, half-breed, it seems your plan backfired. You were never freed from those beads, now were you?"

"Hey!" said Inuyasha angrily rising from the floor with a fist. "Although I never thought of that before," he thought quietly to himself.

"Well, actually Sesshomaru," said Kagome. "It was both our faults. I didn't really know much about it because I never was trained as a priestess. I just got lucky I guess. Anyway," she said returning to subject. "Let's focus here guys. If Naraku is hiding, where would he be? Why would he be taking so long to come out? He has the whole jewel."

"The whole jewel?" said Sesshomaru coldly. He had Kagome explain the painful incident in its entirety.

"And you see that's how the whole jewel ended up with Mouryoumaru, who was made by Naraku's incarnation," said Kagome nervously blushing. "You see, I kind of messed up, dropping my shards and all. I'm really sorry." She turned away. "The real problem is, that with the jewel unpurified, we can never really say Naraku is gone." The cave fell silent.

Sesshomaru disregarded the apology. He remained silent, and for some time the space was stirred only by the crackling of flames.

"Well you know," said Inuyasha keenly coming over to glare at Sesshomaru. "There's something else here you aren't telling us. Like why a bastard brother of mine would show up suddenly after ten years to talk of old enemies. I must say Sesshomaru, I'm not used to family visits from you."

Sesshomaru smirked. "Perceptive after all aren't you Inuyasha? It is true, I've been busy with matters of the domain for many years. But it is also true that Naraku is beginning to show signs of a reappearance." Inuyasha and Kagome both perked their ears up at this.

"Oddly enough," continued Sesshomaru. "Those reappearances have something to do with you little brother."

Notes: Hm, now what does sweet Sessy mean?


	53. Chapter 53

"What do you mean?" prompted Inuyasha. Sesshomaru looked at him studiously.

"Tell me little brother," he said derisively. "What do you know of a ten year old girl with black and white mottled ears like a dog?"

Kagome gasped. Inuyasha stood up abruptly with a fluttering look to his eyes.

"What do you mean," snarled Inuyasha desperately, "What do you know?" He darted forward to grab Sesshomaru's dress robes. Promptly, Sesshomaru taught him a lesson not to underestimate him by sinking his poison claws into his hands before they reached him. Inuyasha gasped in pain and leapt back to look at his burning hands.

"Be more respectful, half-demon," said Sesshomaru icily.

"Damn it Sesshomaru!" shouted Inuyasha disregarding him. "What do you know about my daughter? Tell me where Taihen is!"

"Taihen?" spoke Sesshomaru calmly. "So you admit that creature is your daughter then?" he said in an even more chilled tone than before.

"What do you mean by 'that creature?'" said Inuyasha more panicked than ever. Sesshomaru smirked. He left the half-demon hanging for a while, relishing in his apparent agony. Then he decided to fish for information of his own.

"First half-breed," he said as disgustedly as he could manage, "you will tell me all there is to know about who this Taihen is."

Kagome began and ended the story. At times, tears filled her eyes. At others, Inuyasha paced, only to flop himself down on the ground. It was shameful, painful, and ultimately anguishing. The cave smelt like tears and blood when they were done, Inuyasha having slashed his hand badly from clenching and unclenching his fist so many times.

"So you see Sesshomaru," Kagome ended. "We would do anything to get Taihen back. We'll never give up searching, but it seems there's no hope. If Naraku really has got her…"

"Then I'll stomp in there and rip the fucking bastard apart," snarled Inuyasha. "I'm ready. He doesn't need to get Taihen involved in this."

"But he has," Sesshomaru said cutting him off. "Clearly, he has found your ultimate weakness, Inuyasha, and more than that he is using it as a tool against me."

"What do you mean," said Inuyasha panicking again. As usual, Sesshomaru took his time in answering.

"In recent days," the demon lord began, "several human keeps, manors they call them have been attacked."

"Keh," said Inuyasha rudely. "That's nothing new. What has Taihen got to do with it. Why do you know anything about it anyway? Last I checked you weren't interested in helping humans."

"Inuyasha," hissed Kagome giving him a sideways kick. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and continued.

"It has all to do, half-demon, with the fact that several of my loyal subjects have been murdered in their own homes by the same person."

"Murdered?" said Inuyasha quizzically and with a slight sense of rising horror. He was afraid of what he might hear next and indeed it was not good.

"Yes," said Sesshomaru calmly. "But more important than that is the strange nature of these crimes. At the dens or palaces of those destroyed, the few survivors all tell of a mostly human child with mottled ears of a dog brutally slaying their masters and setting fire to their homes. More to the point, the girl is said to have been accompanied by saimyoushou and a demon guard."

"Saimyoushou? You mean Naraku's poisonous insects?"

"Exactly little brother," said Sesshomaru coldly and giving the hanyou a deep penetrating glare.

Inuyasha swallowed a lump rising to his throat. "Is this true?" he uttered.

"From all appearances, it is accurate," said Sesshomaru calmly. "I have been to the ruins myself and at each one I have found YOUR disgusting scent or rather that of you and your taikoji (demon-slayer).

Inuyasha felt a sickening taughtness in his throat. "No," he mumbled. "Not this." Dazedly, he shook his head. "Not for Naraku!"

"I am afraid that is what it is, little brother," said Sesshomaru evilly. "And I must inform you what an absolute abomination you are. Your filthy blood is nothing compared to you filthy actions, allowing a child to fall into the hands of an enemy and showing infidelity to your mate after refusing all others. If I could right now, I would slash out your throat."

"Hm," said Inuyasha stonily. "But you haven't Sesshomaru," he said for an antagonistic reply. "Besides, I know what I did was wrong. It wasn't my fault really, AS KAGOME EXPLAINED IDIOT, but what really matters is that we get Taihen back. For Sango's sake, as well as our own. She doesn't deserve this," he ended referring to Taihen and tightening a fist to cause more blood to fall to the cave floor.

Kagome placed a hand on his arm. "Inuyasha's right," she said calmly. "It wasn't his fault. He was used, although we forgave Sango for it long ago. Really, it's kind of all Naraku's fault that Taihen exists anyway. If he didn't crack Sango up by killing Kohaku or actually that was Mouryoumaru wasn't it? Any way, we had better find some way to free her."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Unfortunately, at this point your best course of action is to wait, half-breed."

"WHAT!" belted out Inuyasha causing the cave roof to shutter even more than back when they had the noodle argument. "You want us to wait and leave her in the hands of that Naraku bastard? Why you." If looks could kill, Sesshomaru would have fallen over by now.

"Frankly Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru calmly, "she has been under Naraku's hand for years now. She will have no memories of you and is essentially a servant. She is nothing more than an enemy."

"Wha?" said Inuyasha floored. Then he spoke again quickly. "If you ever do a thing to harm her I will kill you myself," he warned.

Sesshomaru took this serenely as well. "Exactly as Naraku planned, half-breed," he explained quietly. "I expect Taihen is being use as a pawn to put even more eminity between us."

Inuyasha couldn't do more than suck on his tongue at this point. Kagome, however, who was clutching onto Inuyasha's arm with a death-grip staggered out a plea.

"Please Sesshomaru," she begged the great youkai lord. "If you ever come across Taihen again, spare her life. Bring her back to us." Sesshomaru looked at her coldly.

"Are you certain you are so ready to accept another female's pup?" he asked searchingly.

"Yes," said Kagome without hesitation. Bless her heart.

The great demon lord closed his eyes defeatedly. "Then I will not kill her if we meet again," he promised nobly. Kagome and Inuyasha both breathed a sigh of relief.

After abate of the storm, Inuyasha and Kagome both wandered outside the cave and sat on the ledge gloomily.

"Well, what do you think Inuyasha?" said Kagome quietly.

"Hm? About what?" said Inuyasha crossly not liking to be disturbed from his daydreams. Kagome pulled him down by the ear so he would look at her.

"I asked you what you thought Inuyasha," she snapped at him releasing her hold and becoming more solemn. "About Taihen," she added softly.

Inuyasha looked away. He shifted his eyes guiltily and returned them to the clouds before replying.

"I hate to say it, but I think Sesshomaru's right."

"Wha?" said Kagome it now her turn to be shocked.

"If we get close to her now, Naraku will only kill her," he said biting down on the despised words with his teeth. "We can't endanger the other pups either. Still, we can't wait too much because Miroku and Sango will be gone before too long. Besides, I just can't stand the thought of leaving in the hands of that bastard for even a second!" The hanyou shook his head fiercely, his eyebrows quivering in an expression of utmost fury.

"You know," said Kagome gently. "Maybe we can Aijo and Yasuo through the well to my era."

"Keh," said Inuyasha irritably, "I don't intend on dying you know."

"I know that," Kagome soothed. "But maybe they could go to school and visit my family for a while. That way Sango and Miroku wouldn't have to take care of them so much… so we can go with Sesshomaru."

"What do you mean?" said Inuyasha fiercely. He calmed down a little and looked at her in askance.

"I mean we could ask him to show us these ruins."

"You mean sniff around?" said Inuyasha brusquely. "Bah. I was planning to do that anyway. But seriously Kagome that bastard Sesshomaru would never lift a finger to help us. It's Sesshomaru we're talking about here remember?"

"Yeah, I know," said Kagome resolutely. "But maybe he's changed Inuyasha. Maybe he's willing to help us find Taihen. After all, it's his subjects that are being murdered."

"Yeah, well, we'll just see about it," said Inuyasha doubtfully. He returned his gaze to the sky. Before long, a solemn, sorrowful expression settled on his features.

Kagome looked at her hanyou companion silently. Then she settled her shoulder against his, sharing in his burdened soul. Inuyasha sighed. Bending down slightly, he snuffled her hair gently. He wrapped and arm around Kagome's waist lovingly. Then the two figures sat there as one devoted couple, watching the clouds skitter across the sky and listening to each other's heartbeats with their soft furry ears.


	54. Chapter 54

Because I love you guys so much here is an update. By the way, I do not own Inuyasha and neither do you. Bounsa is a minor character from the TV episode called either Totasai's Rigid Training or Totasai's Odd Training depending on who translated the title. He and Inuyasha both ended up at Totasai's and were tricked into doing chores for him so they could learn how to break a demonic barrier. The tiny lynx, who is about as young as Shippo, declared that he was senior apprentice hence making Inuyasha a "little brother." His nickname for Inuyasha is Junior. I couldn't find out how to spell his name properly, Bounsa is as close as I can come.

The grass was drenched with water, but Bounsa, the son of the Leader of the Lynx Tribe, was certain he had smelled something familiar, something doggish a few hours ago. Back then, there had been several loud boomings and the trailing of dust into the sky to tickle the low clouds and convince them to come down.

After a brief but fierce storm, all scent was wiped out but after guessing the site of the explosions, Bounsa managed to find his way to a site of a recent battle. Here, there was rubble from rocks, upheaved and fractured ground, and more importantly a faint stain of blood soaked into the soil. Bounsa sniffed it carefully, pressing his nose against the earth. True to his cat nature, he opened his mouth and curled his tongue so that the receptors on the roof of his mouth could filter out the scent from the rain-drenched air. In some way, the smell of the blood reminded him of Inuyasha, a dog-demon he had once met. But then again, this smell was quite different from his. Inuyasha, he knew now, was a hanyou. This creature, whoever he was, was decidedly a full demon.

Restoring himself to his full height and rubbing the strange scent from his nose, Bounsa decided he had better find out whom this strange creature was who was passing through the lynx territory. In any case, he was very curious since it had been many years since he had heard anything about his "little brother" the hanyou. Judging from the smell of the blood, there was a good chance that this strange demon was related.

Back in the cave, barely an hour had passed since that heated conversation. Inuyasha sat back against his post looking bored but actually contemplative. Kagome was planning dinner and wondering if the kids and their friends had got home all right. Sesshomaru lay back against his soft pelt irritated that it would take several days for him to heal properly. Irritated, he sniffed the air surrounding him. Much to his frustration, he was cloaked with the reek of his half-breed brother and that of his mate. Sesshomaru couldn't stand it anymore.

"I'm leaving," the great taiyoukai (demon lord) said forcing himself to his feet. He made a show of feeling no pain but his bones and muscles creaked. He willfully suppressed the spasms of his battle worn, thrice-blasted body.

"Wait Sesshomaru," said her eyes wide. "You can't go yet. You can't possibly be healed."

"I'm well enough to travel thank you," said Sesshomaru sneeringly. Of course he was lying, he felt too sick to his stomach to fly at the moment but he was willing to try it anyway.

"Come back here bastard," growled Inuyasha as his elder brother tried to walk past him. "We have a few questions for you. Besides, I can hear your bones popping from here."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha. "It isn't any of your concern," he said dismissively. He reached the edge of the ledge overlooking the canyon to which they had come and looked down.

"You aren't going anywhere Sesshomaru," said Inuyasha grabbing onto Sesshomaru's wrist unthinkingly. Sesshomaru snarled and shoved him back so that he stumbled.

"Never touch me again half-breed," the taiyoukai spoke. Then he created a billowy cloud about him and floated off along the ground. He was feeling too ill to go very high, but he still had enough energy to move. He was determined to bathe the offending stench off him.

"Come on Inuyasha," said Kagome grabbing up her backpack. "Let's go after him."

"Go?" he queried turning his gaze from his retreating brother to Kagome. "He's determined to leave us so why not let him."

"Sit boy," said Kagome loudly and leaping off the cliff edge. "Hurry up Inuyasha, I don't have time to argue with you."

"Damn it," muttered Inuyasha trying to unpaste himself. Unbeknownst to Inuyasha, a creature stirred from his slumber down in the valley below. A set of eyes large enough to dwarf him narrowed and the creature tasted the air with a flickering tongue.

Kagome ran through the forest, the trees becoming a blur around her. She panted out with ragged gasps, her tongue lolling slightly. She had lost sight of Sesshomaru due to the denseness of the trees, but she could smell him and feel his energy. She paused for a moment, feeling him out as he changed direction.

"Hey, wait up Kagome," said Inuyasha skidding to a halt beside her.

"About time," said Kagome ignoring him. "He's that way," she said leaping off again.

"Keh," said Inuyasha irritably. He had had enough of this so he scooped up the rapidly breathing Kagome mid-stride and threw her up on his back. She blinked.

"Hey Inuyasha," she said angrily. "What are you doing?"

"Shut-up," said her hanyou rudely. "I can go faster than you, you're tired already."

"Humph," said Kagome crossly. "If he wasn't so fast…"

"Then he wouldn't be Sesshomaru," said Inuyasha gruffly. Kagome kept her peace. Instead she snuggled down in Inuyasha's shoulder. It had been a long time since she'd been able to ride like this.

They ran through the hemlocks and maples, pressing further into the depths until they came to a portion of the craggy mountainside over which a magnificent waterfall descended. It must have cascaded over thirty feet down into a glimmering pool flecked with spray. At the base of the falls, Sesshomaru stood letting the water run over his shoulders and down his silvery mane. He didn't even open his eyes as Inuyasha and Kagome hesitantly walked to the edge of the pool.

"I came here to be alone," said Sesshomaru glumly. "There was no sense in you following me here."

"No sense," said Inuyasha reprovingly. "You haven't answered our questions yet and if you think we'll let you off just cause you're injured you've got another thing coming."

"Inuyasha," scolded Kagome.

Sesshomaru opened his amber eyes, so beautiful like two celestial moons. "I told you to forget about her hanyou," he said abruptly. "It is out of your hands now."

"Out of my hands!" Inuyasha yelled. "Like hell it is! No matter what you say she is still my daughter. I can't just keep letting Naraku control her."

"She will die if you approach her," he said calmly.

"Who said anything about doing that?" said Inuyasha defensively. "I just wanted to see the ruins, see if we can get a glimpse of her."

"Foolish," said Sesshomaru stepping out of the waterfall curtain. The water flowed freely down through his robes and out from his hair in cascading threads. "Why torture yourself with this Inuyasha? You have other children."

"Arghum," growled Inuyasha in frustration. He wasn't getting anywhere.

"Please, Sesshomaru," said Kagome. "We need to see it is really Taihen and not some sort of trick. Maybe if she sees us, she will abandon Naraku."

Sesshomaru regarded her. "Unlikely. He has probably molded her mind and perhaps affected her body as well. There is no certainty she possesses a free will of her own."

"Still, we have to try," said Kagome pleadingly. "Besides, something has to be done for your subjects to keep them from being murdered."

"Indeed," said Sesshomaru after a thoughtful pause. "Have your way then," he said collectedly. "I will take you to the ruins."

"All right!" Inuyasha burst out loudly with a fist punched to the air. Everyone scowled at him.

They began to walk along away from the waterfall when an enormous demon energy pulsed. Sesshomaru looked like he could sigh. "It seems the skrewt has left hibernation."

"What the hell are you talking about," said Inuyasha being very ill-mannered today.

They looked in the woods around them. Inuyasha was looking in the opposite direction when all of a sudden two huge glowing eyes appeared in the woods behind him. They were a deep blood red with bright green specks. Inuyasha whirled around as a hot sulfury breath tickled against him and he found himself staring up into eyes a foot taller than he.

"Shit," he cried jumping up into the air like a flying cork. The enormous creature twisted its body up after him and tried to eat him from the air. It was thin like a dragon but had many sets of legs like a newt.

"Damn, scaly lizard," said Inuyasha altering his course mid-air by doing a flip and then bounding off its nose. He left it with a good kick as he did so.

The skrewt roared in anger and tried again to snap up the hanyou. Inuyasha dodged, so it focused its eyes on another target. There were two figures on the ground looking up at him. On one of them he smelled blood and fatigue so he lashed down to bite at Lord Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru stood his ground and let out a long green wipe. It cut into the creature's nose, causing gallons of blood to pour down as it stumbled around in pain. The creature screeched and leapt forward once again.

"Get back Sesshomaru," Inuyasha cried as he leapt forward in front of him to shield him.

"Get out of the way Inuyasha," sad Sesshomaru coldly.

"Can it Sesshomaru," said Inuyasha hotly. "You aren't in any condition to fight and you know it." While the two were arguing, the lizard lashed out a tongue and wrapped it around the hanyou's body.

"Damn it," Inuyasha cursed. Abruptly, he was lifted up in the air and gulped down into the creature's mouth.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried apprehensively. Her tail shook with fear.

For a moment, the lizard looked very pleased with itself. But then it looked like it had taffy stuck in its mouth. Kagome looked on in fright.

Inside the mouth, Inuyasha was holding on for dear life by imbedding his claws in the roof. Simultaneously, he avoided being dislodged by a lashing tongue by flattening himself and using one hand to slash. Gradually, Inuyasha made his way to the edge of the mouth where he could see gaps between the huge pointed teeth. Gaps he could squeeze through. Dropping quickly to his feet, he pushed himself through the teeth and rammed his shoulder against the fold of skin covering the teeth. Seeing the sky at last, he jumped out.

"Ha!" Inuyasha cried falling to the earth in triumph. Kagome was overjoyed to see him, but her joy turned to horror as the skrewt lashed forward to catch Inuyasha in its teeth. Angrily, it ground them into Inuyasha, trying to shed him into two.

Captured again, Inuyasha grunted in pain as blood poured out from his abdomen. Pierced through as he was, there was little he could do but he tore out the Tetsusiaga from its sheath and stabbed it up in the mouth of the demon. The demon roared angrily and thinking him near dead anyway, dropped him to the ground.

That was a mistake. Staggering to his feet Inuyasha held up the blade of the Tetsusiaga. It winked in the light before he cried out "wind scar!" unleashing a torrent which threw the lizard back. It coiled itself angrily and slunk into the trees to hide.

"Inuyasha!" cried Kagome coming up to place a hand on his shoulder. Inuyasha was kneeled on the ground using his sword to steady himself.

"You look like you're about to pass out," said Kagome worriedly.

"It's nothing," Inuyasha forced out barely able to talk.

"Yeah right." said Kagome as she watched a pool of blood puddle beneath him. "You're such a liar."

Not bothering to argue with him anymore, she yanked his robe off in one move and his undershirt in another. She twirled his undershirt around and knotted it around his waist as firmly as she could tie it, which was pretty tight now that she was a hanyou.

"Thanks Kagome," said a pretty surprised Inuyasha.

"No time for that now Inuyasha," said Kagome calmly. "The demon is moving again."

Kagome pointed out a finger as a blast of acid came their way. She grabbed onto Inuyasha's shoulder and helped him move so that they both tumbled into the dirt but out of the blast's reach. Sesshomaru likewise managed to move away and stood on his feet dizzily.

"It's poison Inuyasha," said Kagome. "I don't think you can use you backlash wave on that."

"Maybe not, but I can absorb it," Inuyasha said firmly.

"There's too much of it!" Kagome cried. "If you use the dragon-scaled Tetsusiaga to absorb that much, who knows what will happen! I don't want to lose you Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked into the forest thinking. If only he could cut through the wall of poison or block it somehow, he could use his windscar again, this time with more energy. He would beat this thing even if he had to hack it into pieces.

As he stood there thinking however, Sesshomaru walked up to stand to his right. "She's right Inuyasha. You can't deal with this quantity of poison. I, however can. I will counter it with my own powers, while you destroy it with the Tetsusiaga."

"Huh?" said Inuyasha thoroughly confused by the turn of events.

Ignoring him, Sesshomaru began to transform into an enormous dog-demon, his true demon form. He towered above the forest, showing his teeth. Then he leapt down into the trees and pulled the lizard up with his teeth. Suddenly exposed, the lizard-demon screeched and lashed furiously like an eel. It turned its own teeth to Sesshomaru and latched them onto his muzzle.

"Now, Inuyasha!" called Kagome waking him up from his daze.

"Yeah, right," said the hanyou leaping up. He brought the Tetusiaga up into the air above the lizard's neck. Then, unleashing a windscar, he severed its head and sent it crashing down to the ground. Sesshomaru in has true demon form sniffed at the fallen prey and began nibbling on it.

"Ew," said Inuyasha suddenly nauseated. "That's disgusting."

"Well he has to eat something," said Kagome reasonably. "He is a giant dog after all. Lizards don't sound that bad."

After a bath and a meal, Sesshomaru felt much better. He poofed himself down in his smaller form and joined Kagome who was bandaging Inuyasha.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked quietly.

Far off in the distance, Bounsa, who was having a difficult time tracking, perked up his ears. He watched as a giant lizard and a dog demon fought then disappeared. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of red and hastened towards it.

Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru ended up going back to the cave because they now had two injured members among their party. Sesshomaru settled back against his pelt to nap while Kagome built a roaring fire. Inuyasha settled in a corner of the cave lain on top of the sleeping bag Kagome and he used. He watched Kagome poke twigs into the fire with his large, luminescent eyes like amber moons.

"Kagome," he called softly. "We can't stay here forever. We never even told Sango and Miroku where we went."

"We stayed behind, remember?" said Kagome calmly. "Don't worry Inuyasha, it's only been one day. We'll get back to them as soon as we can."

Inuyasha lay back down quietly to rest. Not too long afterwards however, an unknown demon's scent picked up on the air. Whomever it was, they were rapidly approaching the cave as the scent grew stronger quickly. Kagome pricked up her ears and Sesshomaru suddenly looked more intent. However, it was Inuyasha who acted first. Cracking his knuckles, he made to rise. Kagome leapt over to him, pushing down on him to make him stay.

"Kagome," he muttered. "Get off."

"No, you're injured," she said in a concerned tone.

"It's fine," said Inuyasha batting her off. Somehow, he wasn't at all worried by the demon's scent. Something about it seemed familiar to him. Quite simply, there was something about it that he knew, something that made him feel warm and appreciated. Something that made him feel like smacking Totosai for being such a stupid old man and making Bounsa sleep out in a cold shed. Wait a minute that was it! Inuyasha closed his eyes drawing in the scent to survey it. There was no doubt about it. "It's Bounsa," he muttered thoughtfully. He grinned.

"Bounsa?" asked Kagome quietly.

"It's all right Kagome," said Inuyasha waving a hand. "He's a friend of mine, or you might say family." Neither Kagome nor Sesshomaru could comprehend his meaning.

"Little brother!" a youthful and ecstatic voice cried out across the cave. A young lynx stood in the entrance. "Long time no-see, Junior."

"Nice to see you too, Senior," said Inuyasha grinning. Sesshomaru was both confused and disgusted.


	55. Chapter 55

"It's all right Kagome," said Inuyasha waving a hand. "He's a friend of mine, or you might say family." Neither Kagome nor Sesshomaru could comprehend his meaning.

"Little brother!" a youthful and ecstatic voice cried out across the cave. A young lynx stood in the entrance. "Long time no-see, Junior."

"Nice to see you too, Senior," said Inuyasha grinning. Sesshomaru was both confused and disgusted.

"Wow Inuyasha," said Bounsa sniffing the air as he stood near the cave entrance. His delicate nose caught the scent of blood and he rushed to the bed on which Inuyasha lay. "What happened to you Junior?" he asked in a tone of concern studying him.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Just got into a fight I suppose," he said off-handedly.

"Geeze Inuyasha," said the little lynx animatedly. "What do I have to do to tell you to keep you out of trouble? You know you shouldn't endanger yourself like that." Bounsa spoke with an annoying voice but he still looked so cute with his fuzzy whiskers sticking out.

"Here," said Bounsa excitedly. "Do you need your bandages changed? Have you eaten anything yet?" He kneeled by Inuyasha and put a hand to his head to check for fever.

Kagome smiled at their sudden guest. "It's all right," she said serenely to the little lynx cub. "I just finished with his dressings. But we could use some water for his forehead." Bounsa abruptly stood up.

"I'll right then, I'll do it," said Bounsa standing upright with as much dignity and pride as he was able to muster. "My name is Bounsa. I'm the son of the leader of the Lynx Tribe. Some day I will be the tribe leader. Who are you?" he asked by way of introduction.

"I'm Kagome," said Kagome smiled. "I'm Inuyasha's mate."

Bounsa looked thrilled by her admission. "Wow, Junior," he exclaimed looking at Inuyasha. "I'm so proud of you. You'll have to tell me all about this when I get back. However," he said changing his expression and shaking a finger at him. "Don't think I'm gonna let you off easy for this Junior! You stay there resting until I come back." The little lynx cub grabbed a bamboo water container by the door and rushed off.

"Wow," said Kagome smiling after him. She came to kneel by Inuyasha herself. "So do you want to explain this one Inuyasha or what?"

Again, Inuyasha shrugged for an answer. "Not really much to tell," he uttered. "Bounsa calls me Junior so I call him Senior. A little messed up but I couldn't ask for a better brother." He said all this knowing that Sesshomaru was just a few feet away listening but not really caring. He hated that Baka.

Soon, Bounsa came rattling back with the sloshing contents of the bamboo container. He handed it to Kagome and looked up at her. "Kagome right?" he said looking at her sternly. "How did you meet Inuyasha?" Kagome smiled and kneeled so she was at his eye level.

"Well," she said quietly. "Me and Inuyasha met under the sacred tree in the a village southeast of here. It was a very long time ago and we started traveling together until we got to know each other quite well. I don't think there could be a better companion than him. Well, actually, he is always so argumentative and stubborn but I really love him anyway. We just traveled along together for so long that we really fell for each other." She had a complacent, angelic look to her face.

Bounsa studied her carefully. "Gee Inuyasha," he said beaming and turning his thoughtful scowl into a grin. "I approve. However," he said his stance for reprimanding returning. "Don't you know it's improper for a female to travel with you unless you intend to start a pack? I'm not a dog demon, but even I know not to travel with young ladies unless you're engaged to them."

"Wouldn't know," said Inuyasha dismissively blushing and pulling his arms up in front of himself defensively.

"That's right, he wouldn't," thought Kagome blushing. "Did we really do that? I guess we did. No wonder the Thunder Brothers took it as they did, and Sesshomaru too."

Kagome cleared her throat forcibly to clear her blush then smoothed the skirt of her silvery kimono. Carefully, she kneeled beside Bounsa tapping her long black, furry tail.

"Say, Bounsa," she said measuredly. "Perhaps you could explain to me just how you and Inuyasha met each other. I'm very curious to know."

"It's easy," stated Bounsa with a prideful of air. "I went to Old Master Totosai's to receive training on how to break a demonic barrier. I was the first apprentice. Inuyasha came later making him Junior apprentice and me Senior. But then he helped me rescue my father from Nanafoshi so he became an official member of the lynx demon tribe. He's my little brother in more way than one now but he still never came to visit as he said he would. Why is that Little Brother?" he said scathingly.

Quickly, Inuyasha tried to think of a way to get out of it. "Um, I just never passed this way again. I was always fighting with a demon called Naraku and then I had pups with Kagome and believe me they're a handful."

"Pups?" said Bounsa starry-eyed. "Why didn't you say so Junior? You should bring them over here Inuyasha! You know, as my little brother you should know enough to introduce them to their uncle," he scolded shaking a finger. "Besides, as an official member of the lynx demon tribe its your duty to introduce all new members of the clan."

"Oh no," thought Inuyasha to himself. "This is getting more complicated. Does this mean I have to go through a ceremony thing with them too? Aijo and Shippo are already members of the dog-demon clan." Happily, Kagome interceded for him.

"We'd happy to introduce them to you someday, Bounsa," she said composedly. "Still, we sent them home for the moment with the rest of our pack and we're going on a long journey after we recover. Maybe we could bring them for a visit next spring?"

"Hm," said Bounsa pacing thoughtfully. He whirled about abruptly. "All right. You bring them to us next spring and we'll have a big celebration."

"Er, Bounsa?" said Kagome. "One thing you ought to know is that they're not full demons."

"I now that," said Bounsa shaking it off. "You and Inuyasha are hanyous by the smell of you. That's okay, Inuyasha is my brother and I'll deal with it."

"Well, actually," put in Kagome. "Our children aren't hanyous even. They are more like quarter demons and not nearly as strong as you. It might be best if they stay where they are, living in a human village."

"A human village?" said Bounsa stunned. "I see." After a minute of thought he lifted his head.

"That's all right. The offer still stands. If you and Inuyasha come to our clan to visit, I'll make sure that you are respected as long as you are with us. You have my promise as the future clan leader." Bounsa held up his hand very solemnly. It was very amusing since he was still no older than Shippo yet the action was so full of important.

Sesshomaru lay on his pelt silently watching the whole exchange. It was somewhat unsettling to hear Inuyasha referenced as a member of a feline tribe, and even more disturbing to see one parading around as Inuyasha's self-proclaimed brother. Moreover, the little lynx cub seemed very fond of Inuyasha and was treating him more kindly than Sesshomaru thought he ought to be treated. Still, he said not a word.

As if on schedule, Bounsa turned around to glance at Sesshomaru. "Inuyasha," he said sitting next to him again. "Who is your friend over there? Is he your cousin or something?"

Inuyasha stifled the urge to laugh. At that moment he was grateful for Bounsa's youthful and undeveloped nose.

"Er, yeah. That's right. My COUSIN over there," he said emphasizing the word cousin and making Sesshomaru glare, "is injured at the moment and we're just staying together for the moment until he can show us the way to some ruins."

Grinning wickedly, he leaned over to Bounsa's ear and whispered in it. "Don't go anywhere's near that baka, he's an evil git and ill-tempered. He'll tear the legs off ya if you so much as look at him funny."

"Oh," said Bounsa his eyes widening slightly. "I'll be careful then," he whispered back earnestly. He bowed slightly to Sesshomaru who was staring at the two whisperers with narrowed eyes.

Kagome could only sigh to herself. "Don't press it too far Inuyasha," she mentally hummed. "We're lucky to get Sesshomaru's help at all and if you mess this up we'll never get a chance to see Taihen again." She decided it was time for action.

"Say Bounsa," she said loudly. "Maybe you could help me make dinner." She glanced over at Sesshomaru trying to read his inscrutable expression. He only glared back at her so she quickly pulled her gaze away.

"Sure thing Kagome," said Bounsa happily. "I have to stay here anyway to take care of Inuyasha. It is my duty after all as an elder brother. I need to watch over him since he obviously can't take care of himself."

"What's that?" said Inuyasha hotly.

Boldly, Bounsa walked up to Inuyasha and bopped him on the head. Surprised, Inuyasha rubbed a tender spot between his ears.

"You listen here Junior," Bounsa scolded him. "You need to learn to be more respectful toward your elders. Got that?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing Senior," Inuyasha muttered still rubbing his head. Irritably, he turned up his ears at the ceiling only to hear Kagome break out into a giggle.

"What's that?" said Inuyasha loudly. He started up, ever sensitive to humiliation because of his life as a hanyou.

"Nothing," Kagome soothed him. She picked up a pot and looked into it.

"Oh dear," Kagome sighed. "I suppose someone really should go hunting."

"I'll do it!" said Bounsa ecstatically. He bounced to the cave entrance and stood there boldly, the firelight flickering over him causing shadows on the worn stone. He raised a thumb to his chest and fluffed himself up proudly.

"Don't worry Junior," he said with a toothy grin. "I'll bring back fresh meat!" With that, the little lynx cub bounded away into the descending night.

Silence fell upon them all for a sweet, brief moment. Everyone remained shrouded from each other in their individual thoughts. Bounsa had come upon them so unexpectedly. He was out of place in reality they were accustomed to. His popping up all of sudden whist they were focusing on their other problems such as Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's hostilities and what to do about Taihen was akin to somebody lobbing a firecracker into a fireplace. It created a mini-explosion in what was once a sleepy existence. No one really knew what to do with this so the night became awkward.

Still, Kagome felt glad for the interruption. Before, the air had been clouded with an awkward silence, a seething resentment and a clairvoyance of hatred. Now, the air was more serene although still not tranquil. The reason for this abrupt shift in the emotional atmosphere was Inuyasha. He actually seemed happy with Bounsa nearby. Despite his standard terse explanations and sulking, Kagome was certain she caught a few smiles coming off the face of her hanyou. It was obvious by the way he was acting that he trusted Bounsa. Instead of being on edge like he constantly was with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha seemed to relax with the lynx cub seated by his side. Even more astonishing, Inuyasha was so non- argumentative. Instead of exploding at Bounsa for bopping him on the head he had merely sulked and turned away. It was a far cry from what he would have done had Sesshomaru tried the same thing. Kagome was absolutely certain he would have ripped out his Tetsusiaga and challenged Sesshomaru to a fight over it.

It all left Kagome to wonder just how this little lynx cub had so endeared himself to Inuyasha's heart. She mused that perhaps it was because he treated Inuyasha right. The way he had promised them that he would make sure their children would be respected if they brought them told her so. Little did she know her musing were absolutely correct.

Back in his corner, Inuyasha lay resting. He snuffled his nose wondering if the little lynx cub had come back yet. In any case, he took strange comfort in the lingering scent of his self-proclaimed elder brother. It had been left when Bounsa had tucked a blanket over him to block out the cold night air. Normally Kagome would do that for him. It was a show of affection Inuyasha truly enjoyed receiving from her. Yet, being doted on by Bounsa was something else. It spoke to Inuyasha's childhood needs of being an esteemed child, a cherished brother. All his life, he had dealt with a secret longing to be loved and appreciated by Sesshomaru, to be watched over and guided by and elder brother who cared. It was so strange for him to suddenly find someone who would proudly call him family in the form of a little lynx cub.

Over in his corner, Sesshomaru was completely confused. He watched his half-brother. He saw the smiles, the way he let down his defenses around the lynx cub, the way he did not reciprocate for the act of bopping him on the head. How many times had he himself told only Inuyasha to be more respectful only to be met with the demand that he go to hell?

To be truthful, Sesshomaru was not jealous. He wanted nothing more than to sever all associations with the half-breed and this was largely the reason why in earlier times he had been so eager to kill Inuyasha. Nowadays, he still felt similarly but in a more tempered way. He had seen Inuyasha in action in many battles and it left him with a mixed feeling regarding the hanyou's worth. If only there was way to purge him of all his human blood and redeem his demon side, would he truly have a brother? After watching Inuyasha's wild, mindless transformations he had to conclude that it was an impossibility. As much as Sesshomaru would have liked a brother he could have been proud of, Inuyasha was clearly not the one. There would never be one now that his father, the late Great Lord of the West, had died, and all because of Inuyasha too. If that mortal woman Iyazoi had not begot him in the first place, the many circumstances leading up to the Late Tai-Youkai's death would never have occurred. Sesshomaru was very bitter for it.

It was true Sesshomaru had never treated Inuyasha well and he was not sorry for it. Overwhelmingly, he was convinced that the hanyou deserved being treated harshly because of what he was. A half-breed. A half-youkai. A half-mortal. Being such was an insufferable shame, not just to himself but also to Sesshomaru. Yet, the half dog-demon refused to acknowledge his proper station, his proper position within demon and human life as a lowly individual. Back when Sesshomaru had stolen the portal to Inuyasha and his father's tomb from Inuyasha's eye, the hanyou had refused to admit his lowly state. Though he, Sesshomaru had whipped him back against a wall until he appeared submissive, Inuyasha had surprised him by standing up and refusing to denounce his mother. Later that same battle, Inuyasha had called him, the Great Lord Sesshomaru insignificant compared to their father. Becoming even more emboldened, Inuyasha had even dared to wield their father's sword against him, taking off an arm. The action pained Sesshomaru greatly, not just because he lost his arm and was shamed himself, but also because it spoke of the hanyou's refusal to be subservient to him. Sesshomaru found himself nose-down on the stone for the first time in his life, facing an outrageous defiance he could not quench. It was a sobering experience. Over the years, the experience had not gotten better. No matter how impossible this statement happened to be, clearly the hanyou considered himself to be Sesshomaru's equal or greater. Over these last few years of watching Sesshomaru had really begun to wonder. Was a hanyou vermin after all?

Across the firelight, Sesshomaru glared at his insolent half-brother. He was acting like Sesshomaru wasn't even there, flicking an ear back gently every now and then and snoozing. It was insufferable.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said sternly, bringing the occupants of the cave into action once more. Sesshomaru could see Inuyasha's shoulders tense and he turned so that his back was not exposed to him.

"Yeah, what is it Sesshomaru?" said Inuyasha bluntly with a voice full of resentment and disrespect. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"For what reason did you say that I am your cousin?" he put in succinctly. Inuyasha shrugged.

"Keh." The half-demon replied. " I just said that cause I know you don't want to be known as my brother anymore than I do. I didn't think you'd mind, seeing as how you're always trying to kill me for something or other." The great Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

"I only allow myself to be known as such half-breed," he said coldly, "because it is the truth. Regrettably, hanyou, nothing but your death could remove the scent which ties you to the bloodlines of our clan."

"Heh, well that's unlucky for you then," retorted Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!" scolded Kagome suddenly breaking into the rising argument. "Remember what Bounsa told you! Respect your elders!"

"Heh!" said Inuyasha angrily. "I'll never respect anyone who discarded me the way he did! He can't come crying to me, 'brother, brother,' after he cast me off like he did! What right does he have to say we're brothers, blood or no!"

"Inuyasha, sit boy!" said Kagome slamming down into his pallet. "This is no time for arguments! I think you're forgetting just how much we need Sesshomaru's help just now or are you really that dense Inuyasha?"

Kagome turned around and bowed to the dog-demon. "I'm sorry Sesshomaru, " she said. "I'll take Inuyasha outside and talk to him." She grabbed a hold of his arm and dragged him off his nice soft bed. Inuyasha blanched, knowing he was in for a dozen sits for punishment.

Oddly enough, he got outside with Kagome without so much as a single sit. Instead, she just led him with his arm clenched in hers until they were out on the ledge face. Then, with a forceful bound, she directed them up the cliff face leaping off ledges until they reached the limits at which rock pressed into sky. There, Kagome settled down into a comfortable position and indicated for Inuyasha to join her.

It was a starry night. As so often in those times in the Feudal Era, there was little to diminish the brilliance or clarity of the great celestial bodies overhead. Tiny pinpricks burst out across the sky across the absence of black, their light rays essentially coming down in spatters to replicate themselves in the eye. It was better than textbooks Kagome decided, being out in the night sky.

"So," she asked him quietly. "Do you wanna tell me what all that was about? You got pretty angry back there." Inuyasha said nothing.

"You know," spoke Kagome quietly. "It's okay for you to be angry about how your brother treated you. I know I'd be. But maybe you could give him another chance? He's helping us now."

"Another chance?" raged Inuyasha. "That idiot doesn't deserve one. He's just!" He found himself stopped by Kagome's hands grabbing his shoulders.

"He just made a few mistakes that's all," said Kagome. "People can change. Remember how you used to fight when we first met Kouga?"

"He's still an idiot," Inuyasha muttered.

"And remember how I met you?" continued Kagome ignoring him. "You tried to kill me the first time we met remember? You swiped your claws right over my head and if I hadn't ducked..." Inuyasha shivered. He didn't even want to think about it and on reflex he reached out to take hold of that which was dear to him, that which needed protecting from the himself of his memories.

"Don't even say that," he said panicking. "Don't even consider such a thing happening! I love you Kagome," he murmured.

"I love you too Inuyasha," said Kagome quietly, "and at first neither of us would have considered such a thing possible. I'm just asking you to do the same for Sesshomaru. Give him a chance to actually get to know you. You never know, after a few years or er, a few decades he may even be like a real brother to you."

"Keh," said Inuyasha scoffing. "I really don't want to think about that. Just forget about it."

"Erm, Inuyasha?" put in Kagome hesitantly. "Are you going to stop rubbing my shoulders?"

"Hum? Oh," said Inuyasha looking at one of his guilty hands. It had acted of its own volition like Miroku's lecherous one. Surely wandering hands were not contagious?

"It's all right, " said Kagome leaning against him. "Don't stop. I like being up here with you."

Inuyasha smiled. He obeyed her request and massaged her shoulders for a minute more before encircling his arms about her waist and burying his nose in her hair.

"Do you mind if we stay out here for a little while kioshii?" he murmured.

"Um-uh," Kagome mumbled. "I'd like to look at the stars a bit." Inuyasha smiled softly and wrapped his kimono around them to keep them both warm as they gazed into the starry night.

Before too long, a soft padding feet sound on the rocks below caused the hanyous to perk up their velvety ears. They crept to the cliff's edge to see Bounsa returning with a feast.

"Wow," said Kagome impressed. "A small boar. He's quite a hunter for a small guy."

"Keh," said Inuyasha dismissively. "I killed 'um all the time at that age." He got up on his feet as Kagome waved a hand over the ledge below.

"Hello Bounsa!" she called out to him. "We're up here! We'll be down in a second!"

"Of course we will," muttered Inuyasha. "You don't have to tell him that."

"Stupid," snapped Kagome. She shoved Inuyasha forwards to start down the cliff and followed after. They entered the cave where Bounsa was laying down his kill.

The fire glowed and sent a nice orange against Bounsa's fur. It was cheery and warm in the firelight in contrast to the sharp silhouette of stars outside and the cool breath of the wind. The Kagome shuttered as the wall of heat reached her and she shook off the sensation.

"So Bounsa," she said cheerily. "Thank you so much for catching dinner. That's a pretty large boar you have there." She crouched down to examine it and found her hanyou senses tingling.

"Yeah," said Bounsa calmly. "Well I gotta feed you three so I decided I had better catch something big enough for all of us. Especially you Inuyasha. You need to eat lots in order to get well. You need to rest too. What were you doing outside the cave anyway?" he said sounding disappointed.

"Oh, Sorry Bounsa that was my fault," said Kagome bowing in apology. "I needed to talk to Inuyasha for a little bit. I apologize."

Bounsa looked at her for a moment. "All right," he said scratching his head. He pointed a finger at Inuyasha. "Just don't let it happen again, Inuyasha. You had better get some sleep like a told you, Junior."

"Yeah, yeah," murmured Inuyasha calmly. He flopped down on his bed again and stretched.

"Don't worry," said Bounsa said to Kagome before turning back to boar. "You can rest too. I'll cook the boar for us. I'm assuming Inuyasha likes his meat cooked just like the fish he made for me while I was sick."

"That's true," said Kagome happily. She was glad because not many demons ate their food hot. Wolf demons like Kouga and Ayame ate it raw.

"Thank you so much Bounsa," said Kagome bowing. "We've only just met yet it seems to me how much of good brother you are to Inuyasha. You're already done so much to help us."

"Don't worry about it Kagome," said Bounsa sitting down to spear pieces of flesh on sticks to be roasted across the fire. "I'm the son of the leader of lynx tribe and we take our promises seriously. Since I'm Inuyasha's elder brother I gotta take care of him like one and his family too."

Kagome smiled. "Well, Bounsa I think Inuyasha should be feeling better tomorrow. How about you two go out tomorrow to spend some time together. I know that he would love it."

Inuyasha flicked his ears and turned around. "Kagome, we…"

"Sit boy," said Kagome. "You haven't seen him for ages Inuyasha. We can continue with the journey later. I hope that's all right with you Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru chose not to say anything for a while. After a minute's pause, he uttered with a frown, "Do as you must." He was still injured it being less than a day after being hit with Kagome's arrow, the windscar, and a combination of attacks from Inuyasha's pups. He needed a little more time to heal and he had already given his word to guide Inuyasha and his mate to the ruins caused by Taihen. He hoped this would all be over soon.

After a dinner of roasted boar which Sesshomaru refused to touch of course,

the two "brothers" fell into conversation with Bounsa bombarding Inuyasha with all sorts of questions about his battles and life. Then Bounsa went on a rant of how great he was going to become as the leader of the lynx demon tribe. Kagome smiled at the cub. As the hours stretched away Bounsa began to yawn. Seeing this, Kagome rummaged through her pack and brought out some of her own children's blankets for Bounsa to use. However, while she had been absent, the little lynx cub had fallen asleep by Inuyasha's side.

"Oh no," Kagome whispered thinking she would have to move him.

"Hey," said Inuyasha quietly. "It's all right. Go to sleep already," he put in mildly.

"But Inuyasha," protested Kagome looking at the sleeping fuzzball.

Inuyasha shrugged. He merely lifted Bounsa up the scruff of his neck and moved him so there would be room for Kagome too.

"He can stay with us for one night, right?" he said excusing his actions. "A pup's a pup after all."

"It's all right," said Kagome smiling once again. She curled up by Inuyasha and lay down to slumber lightly. Across the fire, a pair of luminescent red eyes glowed. Restless, Sesshomaru watched the hanyous and the strange lynx cub snoring gently. What was this new feeling that assaulted him? It was as if Rin was here with her warm glow. Somehow, the rhythmic beat of hearts flopped together in one pile stirred something within him. Incomprehensively, he felt the urge to move towards the other side of the room where everyone else was. Feeling like a puppy, the great youkai lord scowled and drew his pelt closer. Using Rin's scent to calm himself, he dozed.


	56. Chapter 56

Important! I do not own Inuyasha nor any of the characters save for the ones I made up like Aijo and Taihen, who aren't even here right now. VERY IMPORTANT is that I have a few corrections to my story. First, my writing notes were very messed up since I changed the sequence of events a bit. Because of this, Rin is NOT a little girl at this time. She is off at Sesshomaru's castle. Disregard I ever mentioned her. Second, a long while back I mentioned Yasuo having dog ears, he does not. He looks perfectly human. That's important point since he goes to school later and chooses to live on Kagome's side of the well. Thank you to anyone reading this. I am very happy to be writing and the few loyal people who are reading this, I thank you very much and especially for your encouraging reviews.

The following morning Kagome cooked up some of the rice she had in her backpack. It was not a fancy breakfast, but they were traveling and she had long gotten used to life here in the Sengoku Jidai without her modern foodstuffs. Still, she looked forward to the day when once again she could rip open a container of ramen noodles and cook a meal in only a minute. Those were the good old days for her.

Inuyasha got up noisy and roudy, eager to be on his way as usual. Kagome sent him packing out the door as soon as possible lest he annoy Sesshomaru any further. "Have a good time Inuyasha! Take good care of him Bounsa!" she shouted.

"I will," called back the lynx cub waving a paw.

Kagome went back in the cave and made some of the rice left into onigira or rice-balls for lunch. She knew it wasn't anything special but perhaps Inuyasha and Bounsa would catch some fish in the river for them.

As soon as Inuyasha was out of the cave, Sesshomaru rose to his feet. He began to sweep past Kagome on his way out.

"Wait Sesshomaru," she called. "Aren't you staying with us?" she asked.

"I will return tomorrow to guide you," said Sesshomaru. "I have given my word and you need not fear that I break it."

"All right," said Kagome. "Um, Sesshomaru? I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it," said Sesshomaru."

"What became of the little girl who used to travel with you? Is she still with you?"

"She is at my castle being taken care of by my servants," responded Sesshomaru. "She is too old now to be traveling with me any longer."

"That's right. She would be about nineteen now, wouldn't she?" said Kagome.

"Time moves onward without ceasing for mortals," said Sesshomaru. "The girl you speak of, Rin is but a delicate flower. She has boomed like one and soon she will fade."

"I see," said Kagome thoughtfully. "Well, the next time you see her please tell her I hope she doing well for me."

"You need not worry about her well-being, hanyou. She is in my care and under my protection."

"Yes," said Kagome quietly. The conversation finished, Sesshomaru slipped out of the cave and glided into the valley below.

Down by the river, Bounsa and Inuyasha were having lots of fun fishing. Or rather, Inuaysha got mad about something and dunked Bounsa under the water who then got shoved and so on. After getting absolutely drenched and scaring all the fish away, the two sat down on a riverbank drying out in the warm sun.

"So how are you feeling today Junior?" asked Bounsa conversationally.

"Not too bad," stated Inuyasha. "Pretty good actually. My wounds have all healed up for the most part." He looked out across the water and watched the sunlight reflecting off the surface.

"That's good," said Bounsa, "but what have you been doing about your training Inuyasha? Remember you promised me you would practice and grown stronger."

"I have been getting stronger," said Inuyasha. "I told you yesterday that I've been involved in a lot of battles. That's training enough isn't it? Besides, what have you been doing yourself Bounsa?"

Bounsa puffed himself up. "Soon after you left us Inuyasha, Father showed me all his best moves. I've been practicing every day on my own so I've really gotten stronger. Father even had old Master Totosai make me a sword too, but it's a lot shorter than yours since you are taller. Mine is made for rapid attacks."

"Really?" said Inuyasha dubiously. He didn't see how the lynx cub was any better than Shippo. "Well, you show me your stuff Bounsa. You against me." Bounsa grinned.

In the afternoon, Kagome took a nice long bath. She was enjoying her time off without Inuyasha in her hair. After relaxing a bit, she dried off and went to go look for Inuyasha and Bounsa whom had been gone all day. She found them by the riverbank where the sun was warm and the boulders mossy.

"Inuyasha," she called out to him. "Where were you?

"Around," said Inuyasha. "Bounsa took me to visit the lynx tribe and we played some games with the cubs there." Kagome nodded.

"Were you fighting as well?" she asked him.

"How did you know that?" said Inuyasha.

"Just felt it," said Kagome motioning to the mark on her neck that bound her to Inuyasha.

"Nothing too bad I hope?"

"Just practicing," said Inuyasha.

Bounsa got up on his little hind legs. He brushed off his vest. "You know Junior, I have to be leaving now. I need to be getting back to the tribe. I have something to give you first though." Inuyasha looked surprised as the little lynx demon pulled a carved stone from his pocket and handed it to him.

"This is for you," he said sheepishly. "I have one that matches it and my little brother too. It shows that you're family."

"So this is like your crest or something?" asked Inuyasha. Bounsa nodded.

"Well, I'm honored then," said Inuyasha surprising Kagome. He tied onto the locket Kagome had given him many years ago and hid it behind his shirt again.

As much as his actions surprised Kagome, it was even more shocking to Sesshomaru whom had been drifting around spying all day. He stood on the hillside watching the lynx cub hand something to Inuyasha and deciding to return at that moment, walked in to hear the explanation of what it was. He caught a glimpse of the object as it was tucked into his half-brothers shirt.

With a fond farewell, Bounsa left them. Sesshomaru watched the lynx cub go. He thought about things. Over the course of the day, he had seen Inuyasha goofing around shamelessly, tumbling around in a pile of lynx cubs, and being shoved face forward into the river. He was embarrassingly like a young puppy.

"Such a child," Sesshomaru cursed to himself. Yet, there was something about the way Inuyasha acted around Bounsa that stirred him. Somehow it made him ask himself, just what had he been missing.

"No, this Sesshomaru needs nothing. I need no one," he snarled proudly to himself.

Traveling to the castle was a simple matter. Sesshomaru was feeling well enough to fly, so he flew everyone there. When they reached the castle, he sent a messenger to Miroku and Sango at Kagome's request. He then commanded the servants to prepare dinner and rooms for his guests. Tired, he walked into his vast bedroom chamber and lay down on the huge, feathery bed. The door squeaked open.

"Er, Lord Sesshomaru," a frightened Jakin said poking his head in the door. "Lady Rin has heard of your arrival and wishes to see you."

"In the garden then," said Sesshomaru. "Make sure she is not seen by our guests."

"Yes milord," said Jakin bowing and hurrying away.

No, this Sesshomaru could not let Rin by seen by Inuaysha. His Rin. Though he ignored her, secretly he ached in the sight of her frail beauty. Over the years Rin had become so beautiful as he had predicted. It would not do to have that fool brother of his laughing at him. Especially since what he might think was partially true. Lord Sesshomaru could no longer say he felt nothing for Rin. Yet, he told himself it could never be.

Lord Sesshomaru walked out into the garden he had remodeled especially for Rin. It was secret paradise, filled with vines and blooms as ephemeral as she. A fountain stood in the center.

Like a whisper of leaves, there she stood. "I missed you, my lord," she uttered with her soft, delicate tones.

Sesshomaru frowned. The demon lord rejoiced in her presence, her scent wafting around him. At the same time, he was sorrowed by the distance he was forced to hold. If only all humans were demons.


	57. Chapter 57

I herby dedicate this chapter to xochitlakran because that person dedicated something to me.

Repeat: Bounsa got up on his little hind legs. He brushed off his vest. "You know Junior, I have to be leaving now. I need to be getting back to the tribe. I have something to give you first though." Inuyasha looked surprised as the little lynx demon pulled a carved stone from his pocket and handed it to him.

"This is for you," he said sheepishly. "I have one that matches it and my little brother too. It shows that you're family."

"So this is like your crest or something?" asked Inuyasha. Bounsa nodded.

"Well, I'm honored then," said Inuyasha surprising Kagome. He tied onto the locket Kagome had given him many years ago and hid it behind his shirt again.

As much as his actions surprised Kagome, it was even more shocking to Sesshomaru whom had been drifting around spying all day. He stood on the hillside watching the lynx cub hand something to Inuyasha and deciding to return at that moment, walked in to hear the explanation of what it was. He caught a glimpse of the object as it was tucked into his half-brothers shirt.

With a fond farewell, Bounsa left them. Sesshomaru watched the lynx cub go. He thought about things. Over the course of the day, he had seen Inuyasha goofing around shamelessly, tumbling around in a pile of lynx cubs, and being shoved face forward into the river. He was embarrassingly like a young puppy.

"Such a child," Sesshomaru cursed to himself. Yet, there was something about the way Inuyasha acted around Bounsa that stirred him. Somehow it made him ask himself, just what had he been missing.

"No, this Sesshomaru needs nothing. I need no one," he snarled proudly to himself.

Traveling to the castle was a simple matter. Sesshomaru was feeling well enough to fly, so he flew everyone there. When they reached the castle, he sent a messenger to Miroku and Sango at Kagome's request. He then commanded the servants to prepare dinner and rooms for his guests. Tired, he walked into his vast bedroom chamber and lay down on the huge, feathery bed. The door squeaked open.

"Er, Lord Sesshomaru," a frightened Jakin said poking his head in the door. "Lady Rin has heard of your arrival and wishes to see you."

"In the garden then," said Sesshomaru. "Make sure she is not seen by our guests."

"Yes milord," said Jakin bowing and hurrying away.

No, this Sesshomaru could not let Rin by seen by Inuaysha. His Rin. Though he ignored her, secretly he ached in the sight of her frail beauty. Over the years Rin had become so beautiful as he had predicted. It would not do to have that fool brother of his laughing at him. Especially since what he might think was partially true. Lord Sesshomaru could no longer say he felt nothing for Rin. Yet, he told himself it could never be.

Lord Sesshomaru walked out into the garden he had remodeled especially for Rin. It was secret paradise, filled with vines and blooms as ephemeral as she. A fountain stood in the center.

Like a whisper of leaves, there she stood. "I missed you, my lord," she uttered with her soft, delicate tones.

Sesshomaru frowned. The demon lord rejoiced in her presence, her scent wafting around him. At the same time, he was sorrowed by the distance he was forced to hold. If only all humans were demons.

Inuyasha and Kagome stared up at the ceiling of the quarters they had been given. Rubies and emeralds winked down upon them, lain in vast vault of gold filigree. At that moment, it simply dumbfounded them would demons could do and with relative ease none-the-less.

"Impressive, huh?" said Kagome giggling knocking her dazed husband with her elbow. "Although I like diamonds better," she said suggestively. Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh you do, do you?" he said growling lightly, his lips curling back to reveal a pointed fang. The hanyou before her suddenly lowered his voice so low that it caused her to shiver. "Maybe we should remodel then," said Inuyasha huskily. Transfixed, Kagome could not reply. Instead, she stood hapless as her husband brazenly leaned forward and stopped short just a few inches in front of her face. They stood there one again against one another and for several dizzying moments Kagome drew in the unavoidable fans from hot panted breaths that raged between them. Then teasingly, Inuyasha abruptly pulled away. Kagome's face fell as the air around her cheeks became surrounded by cool air.

Inuyasha laughed at her downcast features. "Why so glum, Kagome?" he said teasingly. "If you want I can always pleasure you later you know. I was just punishing you, for trying toflatter melike that."

Kagome blushed. "Yeah, well it was a pretty bad come on," she murmured turning away dejectedly. Inuyasha caught her by the crook of her arm before she could fully turn away.

Inuyasha laughed a gentle booming laugh and Kagome turned her face upwards reluctantly to look at him. "Come on Kagome," he murmured reassuringly. "It wasn't that bad. In fact I kind of enjoyed it. It's just that I like punishing you so much more," he said dropping his voice again causing Kagome to tremble. She shook it off bravely.

"Yeah well," started out Kagome boastfully then changing her voice to match the batting of her eyes. "You're welcome to punish me, if it means spanking me a little…"

"Or pinching dearest?" said Inuyasha said Inuyasha slying pressing his lips into the hair at the nape of her neck. "Or nipping?"

Kagome caught her breath suddenly as his nose rubbed affectionately at her bite mark, making it pulse suddenly. "Pinching or nipping are allowed," she said sternly.

"Those are the rules?" said Inuyasha gently moving his lips upward to rest on the top of her head as he embraced her from behind.

"Those are the rules," said Kagome softly closing her eyes contently. A purr seemed to surround her as she leaned backwards letting Inuyasha's strong arms cross over her chest and around her waist. She leaned into him as he gently nibbled on her ear. "Hm," said Kagome happily.

Boom! The chamber door flew open and a familiar greenish imp stumbled in, tripping over his robes. His whiny voice wailed upwards in an all to familiar recognizable tone and Inuyasha immediately wondered if there was some way he could throw something at the imp without taking his hands of Kagome. There wasn't so he settled on the next best thing. Lifting Kagome up so that he carried her bridal style, he stomped on top of the foolish imp, grinding his heel onto him once for good measure. Then he stood off to once side and letting Kagome down, kneeled to the granite floor so that he could look at the intruder.

"Well, if it isn't Jakin," Inuyasha said without welcome. "Long time no see."

Jakin quickly sat up and straightened his brown hat. "Ungrateful dog," he murmured to himself before he cleared his throat importantly.

"Er… Lord Inuyasha," said Jakin sounding dubious that Inuyasha should be a lord. "Lord Sesshomaru has commanded that you and your mate should come downstairs to accompany him at dinner tonight. The arrangements have been made and I shall return for you in three hours. At that time you are required to be dressed and bathed. I shall take my leave my lord," said Jakin bowing hastily and whirling towards the door.

"Not so fast," said Inuyasha hotly and snatching him up by his billiard ball-like head. He turned him around so that he could look straight into his eyes. "Has a message been sent to my kids yet about us being away for awhile?"

"The message has been sent in accordance to Sesshomaru's wishes," said Jakin squirming, furiously trying to work himself free from Inuyasha's grasp. Inuyasha promptly konked him on the head for it.

"That will do for now then Jakin," said Inuyasha tossing him out in hallway and closing the door shut behind him. He slid back over to Kagome's side and wrapped his arms around her again.

"Now where were we my love," he murmured. "Ah yes. I was about to ask you what sword you liked. This," he said pressing the black casing of Tetsusiaga against her thigh. "Or this one," he said pushing himself forward so that heat pooled between her legs.

"Hm, this one," said Kagome her fingers drifting down to the couple's regions. "The problem is it's just so rowdy."

"Hm," said Inuyasha flashing a fang flirtingly. "I guess you'll have to sheath me then."

Kagome drew in a breath of appreciation and let it out. "I love how you've learned to talk dirty. What happened to my shy guy?"

"Only for you my love," said Inuyasha gently. Kagome blushed with happiness. Tenderly she took hold of Inuyasha's hand. Looking around her, she could see the dark brown of the walls and far off at the end of an immense chamber there was a tall mound of furs. She led Inuyasha towards it. Upon reaching it she turned slowly around so that she was between it and her beloved hanyou.

"How about we start off our vacation with a bang," she murred. Inuyasha promptly shoved her down and climbed on top of her so that her raven hair spilled out behind her, intermingling with his cascading rain of silver. Kagome placed her hands on his shoulders as he propped himself up, with one leg to her side and another between her own.

"How about we get started then," he purred. "We only have three hours."

"One," said Kagome sternly. "We have to get ready remember? We'll have to make up the rest later."

"Keh," said Inuyasha humored. "Like three hours would be enough anyway. We're hanyous remember? I want to take advantage of that strength," said Inuyasha nibbling on her shoulder gently.

"How could I forget?" said Kagome distracted by his actions as her hands ran up his chest.

Three hours later, an outraged Jakin stood pounding on the door. "It's been four hours since I left them here! How dare they forget their appointment with my master! Curse that hanyou and his hanyou wench!" Glaring at the doorknob which was just a little too high for him to reach anyway Jakin sat down in the hallway floor, taking no notice as a shadow enveloped him.

"Jakin!" said a sharp commanding voice booming him into recognition. "I commanded you to retrieve our guests!"

No questions. No excuses. That was always the way with Sesshomaru. The little imp trembled with fear as he looked up into the icy face of the dog demon.

"M..m..Master," stuttered out Jakin dropping down to his knees and squenching his eyes shut. "I went to receive our guests. I just…"

"Never mind Jakin," said Sesshomaru turning to the doorway. He let his senses sift the air and he promptly turned away from the door.

"They are coming," he announced, "no doubt from your pounding on the door. "Escort them downstairs immediately and have the maids clean up that stench."

"Aye my Lord," said Jakin beginning to calm down and grateful he hadn't been killed.

"If I had gotten punished," thought Jakin ruefully as he waited outside the door. "It would have been all that cur's fault!"

Jakin's thoughts were ended when the door swung outward and a hanyou so newly wet that his hair stained his formal robes came out.

"So you're here, Jakin," said Inuyasha authoritatively readjusting the ties on his new blue silk hakama. A moment later, Kagome came tumbling out of the room behind him. Tripping in her hurry, she fell into Inuyasha's arms and then leant down to readjust her shoe.

"Keh," said Inuyasha. "That's what you get for wearing those things," he said in his habitual rude manner. "Shoes are a waste of time you know."

"Sure thing dog-boy," replied Kagome.

"Yeah dog-girl," returned Inuyasha.

"These two are such idiots," thought Jakin before making his announcement to the party.

"All right!" said Jakin so loudly that the walls around them reverberated with the racket. "Time for us to go down to Lord Sesshomaru! He will be most displeased that you are late!"

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other and their faces could not have been more different. Kagome clasped her hands together and an anxious concern drifted upon her features. Inuyasha had a look that clearly said that he couldn't care less and was bored with the whole issue.

"Come on Jakin," he said leading on down the hallway. After marching forward a bit her turned around and held out his hand to Kagome. Naturally, Kagome drifted towards it and joined her hand with his.

"Come on my Lady," said Inuyasha softly suddenly becoming the gentleman as they walked arm in arm.

"Koishii," Kagome murmured so gently that only his ears could hear.

Seated at the head of a large dinner table Sesshomaru waited for his inconsiderate guests. His only accompaniment at the table was that glow from candlelight. At the corners of his room, two slim servants hid themselves in the shadowy recesses with their trays lowered and their heads down. If one ignored their traces of weak youkai, it was easy to overlook that they were there at all as they remained immobile, speechless. Sesshomaru looked up and found the only clicking of the room was that of heartbeats, his and those of his slightly frightened servants. He focused his ears towards his own heart, attending to its rhythm. It tread steadily and powerfully. Yes. His heartbeat was steady. Continual and serene like an endless fountain in the eternal stream of time. He knew that he was centuries old and that not once his heart had faltered. It had gone on beating in its stubborn obstinance to support him. Yet Sesshomaru wished that it would not bear proof of his weaknesses as it did. He wished that somehow it did not speed up or drop down into coldness as it did every now and then. It had become a habit for his heart to betray him within this last decade.

It had started with Rin. Before her, every thing was blocked. Everything within him was decisive, indefatigable. He knew who he was. He knew what he wanted. Even when he turned away from his father that fateful night, fully knowing that his father was about to die, he had done so with an undisturbed heart. Back then, his heart had felt as reliable as if it been fashioned from stone, so steady and constant. But not now. Now its judgement was clouded by weakness.

Sesshomaru cursed it. He cursed his heart and the way it had speed up when he had picked up Rin and held her in his arms. Those first few moments when her heart came back to life bringing something with it, some spark of happiness which kindled his own leading to its release. He hated his heart now because no longer was it the steadfast stone it was supposed to be.

Yes, it had started with Rin. But it had not ended there. No. There were many other times after that when his heart exhibited its newfound freedom. There was the time that Sesshomaru had thought for just a moment that his brother could become a full demon and his heart had swaled with hope. Then there was time that he had stood facing the fallen body of his brother and looked into the eyes of a young miko whose loyalty was so absolute that it did not falter even when faced by death. His heart had pulsed with reverence then. More importantly than that there was Kagura. When she had died by his feet looking up at him lovingly, for the first time in his life he felt… compassion. It had raged within him leading him to flame for vengeance but as of yet he had been unsuccessful in defeating Naraku. That sworn enemy was hiding from him still.

But it was more complex than that. It was far, far deeper than that as evidenced by Sesshomaru's confusion. No, the great taiyoukai thought to himself, listening to his heart sped up once again. It was all about something so secret, so forgotten but never forgotten that it licked up the sides of his mind and launched it into chaos. Slowly, Sesshomaru reached down into the front of his robes and took out a small stone figurine of a dog which hung around his neck on a chain of braided leather. Thoughtful, Sesshomaru rubbed the stone statute affectionately before tucking it back into the front of his robes. Then he looked down unseeingly towards the lain out dinner table in front of him.

"Big brother," Sesshomaru whispered into a silence so deep that the words spoken held in the air trembling. "You would still be alive if Inuyasha had not been conceived."

Two soft white ears twitched involuntarily as Inuyasha neared the dinner table with his lady at his arm. "Damn. Some one is talking shit about me again," he thought, "my ears are burning."

Kagome heard what her mate was muttering to himself and flashed him a consoling look. She knew how sensitive he was about criticism, whether real or perceived. She took a great hold on his arm and shooshed him gently. Then, leaning up on tiptoe, Kagome kissed Inuyasha so that her large black ears brushed against his small white ones.

"Don't worry about it so much Inuyasha," she said dismissively. "Even if Sesshomaru is cursing you right now, it isn't anything he doesn't do everyday."

"Yeah, that's true," said Inuyasha settling under the warm touch. Security in his heart set a-kinder by her warm glow, Inuyasha moved forward with his usual confidence. He brushed through the hanging curtains concealing the hallway that lead into the dining hall where Sesshomaru waited. He drew Kagome up beside him as he went. Eager to leave his charges behind, the retainer Jakin bowed his head quickly and scurried off as quickly as his legs could carry him.

"Strange," thought Inuyasha to himself sniffing the air. "It's faint but I'm sure that this hall smells like a human has been here, so often that she's left her very scent permeated in the walls." Inuyasha's curiosity was halted when a frail looking wolf youkai bowed before him.

"Good evening, my lord," said the young woman before him. "Lord Sesshomaru has commanded me to speak so I welcome you to the dining hall. Please seat yourself at the opposite end of the table and we will have a new banquet for you shortly." The wolf demon bowed politely and the hanyou couple moved off.

"I'm sure it's because we were so late," thought Kagome fretfully.

Sesshomaru hardly moved at all when they entered. Nor did they talk. Instead, Sesshomaru snapped his fingers and the two youkai servants hovering in the corners pulled out chairs for the inu-hanyou. Then, Kagome had all the time in the world to gaze at the incredible sight before her as they dined.

The tablecloth was of a white silk. Upon it were dozens of elaborate dishes lain out on silver trays. Ceramic bowls and cups were intertwined with the dishes holding side-dishes, spices, beverages. Upon the face of each vessel flocks of phoenixes flew gracefully in a twisting about in a spiraling dance, looking backwards toward their feathers in askance. On one side of the table the room was illuminated by a single candle mounted on the wall and hidden by a paper lamp. Upon the paper, more phoenixes were traced and on the walls tigers and phoenixes fought with tigers and bowed their heads to dogs. Kagome wondered about the story of this room, but she wondered if she had the right to ask. Of course, the most fascinating thing about this feast was Sesshomaru's face, which looked as pale, cold, and undiscernible as ever.

Kagome finished her meal in silence with not a word from Inuyasha. Her hanyou husband did not eat much so she finished long after he did. After her chopsticks had settled on her plate for the last time and the servants had returned from the shadows to whisk her dishes away, Sesshomaru finally broke the stillness that oppressed them, only to replace to with something more fragile. The air seemed to turn to shards of glass.

"So, Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru chillingly without welcome in either visage or voice. "It seems we have two issues to resolve."

"Huh?" said Inuyasha puzzled. "Don't tell me you're still goin' on about the Tetsusiaga 'cause you're not getting' it," said Inuyasha irritably.

"I am not concerned with such an endeavor at the moment," said Sesshomaru plainly. "Tomorrow I will take you to see the ruins where slaughters occurred. Tonight however, I need you to accompany me somewhere. Your mate will stay behind, Inuyasha"

"Huh? What the hell is this about Sesshomaru?" Sesshomaru stared back at his brother whose eyes were filled with aggression and distrust. A satisfied smirk appeared on his lips.

"Don't worry Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru cruelly the barest of venom leaking into his chords. "I will not kill you tonight."

With that, Sesshomaru rose to his feet and snapped his fingers. The chairs wer pulled out and the servants made to extinguish the lights, pressing one glowing lantern into Kagome's hands as they bid her goodnight. And then, so suddenly as it came, Kagome was left standing alone as her husband and all others whispered away into the night.

To say that he was nervous was an understatement. Why Sesshomaru had insisted that he tag along on a moon-drenched night leaping over rocky hills and bounding down grass-laden valleys was a mystery to him. So was the reasoning behind strolling through temples laden with fragrant moss and around ponds gone wild with lilies. If this had been Kagome he was traveling with, he would have enjoyed the adventure.

The depth of the night pressed onwards, weighing down upon him like a hazard and an excitement both. Tonight seemed a time to run, a time to fly, a time to explore this strange kingdom in which demons romped around boldly peeking in on what their resident lord was up to. From time to time Inuyasha caught sight of some kitsune or tanuki around the corner, while low rank demons who could not call themselves animal spirits slithered away from Sesshomaru's disdainful eyes. He even caught sight of what seemed to be a demonic dandelion. It impressed him how many demons there were playing around in the moonlight. With him, youkai either fled away or moved to attack him. Seldom did one stand around so that he could casually walk by them. It seemed that here by Sesshomaru's castle so far away from any influences of man that demons were used to his brother's presence and fairly confident that he would not slay them if they kept in line.

Inuyasha ran onwards following his brother, his borrowed kimono blowing out in the dragging wind which he himself had created. Determined to keep up, he fastened his eyes up the cuff of Sesshomaru's robes which were emblazoned with the symbol for the house of Inutaisho, a symbol which he knew he would never be allowed to wear. It was a symbol he knew he would never catch but he wasn't fool enough to think that he should do so. He was what he was unabashedly. He made no apologies to any one.

For forty-five minutes they ran through the night air, turning a warm summer's night into a chilling breeze. At last, Sesshomaru halted and held out his arm to block Inuyasha, a signal that they had reached their destination. It was at a low sheltered hill between two taller ones, cloaked by maples, oaks, and a swath of wild cherries.

For a long time Sesshomaru merely stood there, unmoving and speechless. Finally, after the space of several minutes he turned painfully around and spoke with more venom than Inuyasha had ever recalled hearing. Ever.

"You are not welcome here Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru spitefully, the acid which he harbored in his claws seeming to drench out into his manner. The aristocratic demon seemed to tremble with rage, and for a moment Inuyasha was painted with panic as the terror before him began to transform, emitting an overwhelming aura of battle youkai. But then Sesshomaru got a hold of himself, and the threat diminished.

Sesshomaru breathed in stayingly willing his red eyes to abate into gold ones, the stripes on his face to disappear. After a minute, he turned away to walk up the hill, the nobility in his glide returning. When he had distanced himself from the hanyou somewhat, Sesshomaru turned around.

"Inuyasha, if you come here again I will kill you. However, there is something here I must show you once."

Inuyasha's ears perked up and hesitantly he moved his feet to follow.

Columns of gold. Columns of stone. A temple built for … demons? Inuyasha looked in wonder about him as they pressed into the canopy trees and through column-lined corridors whose very roof was the sky and the bows of the trees. To either side of him on the small hill waterfalls played gushing down with a fluid splash to be diverted and fed through channels whose sharp clean lines carved themselves like symbols onto the landscape. In a multitude of places, paired statues of dogs gazed down as if guarding something. In the distance, several otter demons in robes bowed down ignored by the demon lord.

The two brothers strode on wordlessly until at last they reached the back of the hill. Breaking through a wall of bushes, which Sesshomaru sliced through neatly, they came to a gravesite packed densely with elaborate tombstones. Slowing down his pace, Sesshomaru walked forwards to one of the graves and did the unthinkable. He kneeled.


	58. Chapter 58

_**Chapter 58: A Relevation**_

To say that he was nervous was an understatement. Why Sesshomaru had insisted that he tag along on a moon-drenched night leaping over rocky hills and bounding down grass-laden valleys was a mystery to him. So was the reasoning behind strolling through temples laden with fragrant moss and around ponds gone wild with lilies. If this had been Kagome he was traveling with, he would have enjoyed the adventure.

The depth of the night pressed onwards, weighing down upon him like a hazard and an excitement both. Tonight seemed a time to run, a time to fly, a time to explore this strange kingdom in which demons romped around boldly peeking in on what their resident lord was up to. From time to time Inuyasha caught sight of some kitsune or tanuki around the corner, while low rank demons who could not call themselves animal spirits slithered away from Sesshomaru's disdainful eyes. He even caught sight of what seemed to be a demonic dandelion. It impressed him how many demons there were playing around in the moonlight. With him, youkai either fled away or moved to attack him. Seldom did one stand around so that he could casually walk by them. It seemed that here by Sesshomaru's castle so far away from any influences of man that demons were used to his brother's presence and fairly confident that he would not slay them if they kept in line.

Inuyasha ran onwards following his brother, his borrowed kimono blowing out in the dragging wind which he himself had created. Determined to keep up, he fastened his eyes up the cuff of Sesshomaru's robes which were emblazoned with the symbol for the house of Inutaisho, a symbol which he knew he would never be allowed to wear. It was a symbol he knew he would never catch but he wasn't fool enough to think that he should do so. He was what he was unabashedly. He made no apologies to any one.

For forty-five minutes they ran through the night air, turning a warm summer's night into a chilling breeze. At last, Sesshomaru halted and held out his arm to block Inuyasha, a signal that they had reached their destination. It was at a low sheltered hill between two taller ones, cloaked by maples, oaks, and a swath of wild cherries.

For a long time Sesshomaru merely stood there, unmoving and speechless. Finally, after the space of several minutes he turned painfully around and spoke with more venom than Inuyasha had ever recalled hearing. Ever.

"You are not welcome here Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru spitefully, the acid which he harbored in his claws seeming to drench out into his manner. The aristocratic demon seemed to tremble with rage, and for a moment Inuyasha was painted with panic as the terror before him began to transform, emitting an overwhelming aura of battle youkai. But then Sesshomaru got a hold of himself, and the threat diminished.

Sesshomaru breathed in stayingly willing his red eyes to abate into gold ones, the stripes on his face to disappear. After a minute, he turned away to walk up the hill, the nobility in his glide returning. When he had distanced himself from the hanyou somewhat, Sesshomaru turned around.

"Inuyasha, if you come here again I will kill you. However, there is something here I must show you once."

Inuyasha's ears perked up and hesitantly he moved his feet to follow.

Columns of gold. Columns of stone. A temple built for … demons? Inuyasha looked in wonder about him as they pressed into the canopy trees and through column-lined corridors whose very roof was the sky and the bows of the trees. To either side of him on the small hill waterfalls played gushing down with a fluid splash to be diverted and fed through channels whose sharp clean lines carved themselves like symbols onto the landscape. In a multitude of places, paired statues of dogs gazed down as if guarding something. In the distance, several otter demons in robes bowed down ignored by the demon lord.

The two brothers strode on wordlessly until at last they reached the back of the hill. Breaking through a wall of bushes, which Sesshomaru sliced through neatly, they came to a gravesite packed densely with elaborate tombstones. Slowing down his pace, Sesshomaru walked forwards to one of the graves and did the unthinkable. He kneeled.

Without so much as a backwards glance, Sesshomaru commanded, "Inuyasha kneel."

"What the fu…"

Inuyasha did not have the chance to finish that sentence. It was one of the fiercest attacks he would ever experience. One second he was standing there opening his mouth and the next, he was down on the ground with Sesshomaru's foot pounding into his back, his hand down his neck so that he choked as acid seeped down his throat and within the clawmarks on his neck. He could not speak, or even cry in agony for Sesshomaru's acid had poisoned him badly and the scene around him began to shake, so much so that he wondered if what he saw next was just a fleeting dream.

As quickly as it had happened, Sesshomaru removed his foot from Inuyasha's back. He dragged the suffering hanyou over to the tombstone he had been kneeling before and forced him to grovel before it.

"You will kneel, hanyou," said Sesshomaru gruffly still holding onto him roughly by his hair. "You will kneel before our older brother."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. This was something he had never imagined in all his wildest dreams. Sure, he once eaten so much sugar he had nearly convulsed and imagined Naraku sitting in a frilly dress at Kagome's tea party. Once, he had dreamt that Kikyo had come back to life as a man and stolen away Kagome. And once he had been suspicious that Miroku was cheating on Sango with Kilala. That was completely baseless of course.

But here, now, was a worse nightmare than anyone of them ever could be. Here he was, out in the middle of once warm now-turning-chill night while his evil elder brother murdered him for some slight to another relative he didn't know he had and probably would have hated him too. Worst, he couldn't even retort about it. The best he could at most was bite Sesshomaru's ankle.

Trying to quell his twitching muscles, Inuyasha was in for a shock as Sesshomaru spoke again.

"You do not need to know his name, half-breed, I would never suffer to let you speak it. However you do need to know this. My elder brother was my full brother. Our mother was a proud poison youkai, an ancient beauty. He was the most powerful of all inus except for our father. He was cherished. He was celebrated. He was everything I wanted to be. But for reasons unfathomable he defended our father's honor though he bedded with a mortal woman. He fought to quell a rebellion amongst the followers of Ryuukotsusei and destroyed all his underlings. He was felled by Ryuukotsusei himself. Father went out to avenge our brother and that, hanyou, is how he was afflicted with the mortal wound he ultimately died of. I could not forgive him for my brother's death. I could not forgive him for dying. I could not forgive you. You are the reason for all their deaths, you and your mortal mother."

Sesshomaru straightened up and continued. "But my brother never wanted me to hate you. On his last dying breath, he told me not to hate you on his account. He made me swear to not blame you for his death."

Inuyasha did not move, partly because he was injured and partly because he was floored by what Sesshomaru had just said.

"Inuyasha," came Sesshomaru's harsh tone again. Inuyasha found himself being hailed to his feet and braced himself for one final blow as Sesshomaru's claws raised once again. But the blow never came. Instead, the Sesshomaru's hand took hold of something around Inuyasha's neck. Before Inuyasha's mind could register what was going on, there was a sharp snap and a leather cord was severed. Shakily, Inuyasha raised his head to see the lynx family crest that Sesshomaru held in his hand. He tried to speak but all that came out were immutable utterances.

"Bastard," Inuyasha tried to say. "Bastard…"

Inuyasha's unspoken words went unheeded and he promptly found himself dropped to the ground. He lay there dismally on his bleeding jaw when suddenly an object fell before him in the dust. Struggling to raise his head to look at it, he saw a stone statue in the form of a dog bound to a leather chain.

"What's the matter Inuyasha?" asked Sesshomaru returning to his old manner of speaking. "Aren't you grateful? That is an old family symbol. It belonged to big brother."

Wrapped up in so much pain and confusion, Inuyasha no longer felt provoked by Sesshomaru's words. Instead, he hardly heard him as Sesshomaru kneeled down before him and lifted him up onto his knee. He hardly noticed as Sesshomaru cut into his own wrist and leant down to him.

"Inuyasha," his elder brother said gruffly but almost tenderly. "Drink some of my blood it will abate the poison."

"Huh?" thought Inuyasha before all went black.

The light of morning seemed like the light of heaven as it streamed onto Inuyasha. He awoke in a strange room he had never seen before, one that smelled remotely like dust. For a long time, he simply lay there allowing the ache which beat through him to settle itself out. Then he raised his hand to his neck to experimentally touch his wounds.

"Huh?" said Inuyasha shocked. "My wounds are gone. Was it only a dream?"

Rising up on the bed, which amazingly was painless, Inuyasha clenched at his neck. With a sigh of relief, he found the gold locket there but then, with some sort of odd horror, he realized that he felt something else too. Fishing around in his shirt he withdrew a leather braid at the ends of which swayed a little stone dog.

"Shit," said Inuyasha to himself. "Maybe it wasn't a dream after all."

Standing up suddenly and becoming slightly dizzy in the head, Inuyasha pressed forward onto the door. Swinging it open rapidly, he caught sight of a youkai mouse dressed in servant's clothes whipping around the corner. "Hey!" he cried out as best he could with his unusually soft voice. "Damn it!"

Slumping down again the wall Inuyasha glowered and wondered what was going on. Where Kagome was. With a one-track mind Inuyasha stood up and began running down the hallway.

Kagome was brushing her hair quietly worrying about her husband when he noisily crashed into the door breaking it down. "Kagome!" he cried as if this was a battle situation.

"Calm down Inuyasha," said Kagome cheerfully setting down her hairbrush. "Where were you I was worried."

"Are you really Kagome?" asked Inuyasha reaching out for her doubtfully.

"Yes, I'm sure I'm me," Kagome said.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Inuyasha bent down and licked her bite mark. Finding it to his satisfaction, he gave it a little kiss.

"I'm so glad it's really you," Inuyasha purred dragging his teeth over the spot causing Kagome to tremble. She pushed him away.

"But you still haven't answered my question, Inuyasha," Kagome stated. "Where have you been all night? Did you have a fight with Sesshomaru?"

"Er, uh yeah. Kinda. Hold on." Plunging his hand into his undershirt, Inuyasha drew up the second necklace which had recently been bestowed on him.

"I'm still not sure if it was a dream or not. But I had an older brother once. This belonged to him." Carefully, he laid out the treasure on Kagome's outstretched palms.

"Oh Inuyasha!" his hanyou wife said heartfully. "I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be," muttered Inuyasha. Under his breath he added, "just be sorry for Sesshomaru."

"What?" asked Kagome puzzled.

"Nothing," said Inuyasha tucking the stone dog back around his neck. "It's just that I think I understand now why he hates me so much."

"Oh Inuyasha," said Kagome sorrowfully. Inuyasha grinned and tilted up her check.

"Keh. Enough of that mate. Stop feeling sorry for me." To emphasize the fact the inu-hanyou pecked her on her lips. It was a relatively normal morning after that.


	59. Chapter 59

_**Chapter 59: Small Mystery**_

At noontime, Inuyasha and Kagome went downstairs to eat still unable to find Sesshomaru. No matter whom they asked, all servants including Jakin insisted that Sesshomaru had not returned to the castle yet and would not return till evening. In a way, Inuyasha was glad he was avoiding them. He wasn't sure he was ready to see his brother yet either.

For what seemed like the hundreth time that day, he fiddled with the thin leather chain at his neck. He was grateful that the locket that Kagome had given him was not broken but he was disturbed to find that the family symbol Bounsa had entrusted him with was gone. He had no idea where to look for it either except for one place where he knew he was certainly not returning.

Frowning or pouting even, Inuyasha walked into the dining hall with Kagome at his side. It was the same room at which they had dined yesterday but the atmosphere couldn't be any more different. Whereas yesterday the room had been shrouded by the gloom and the mysterious spell of night, today it was bright and open. Instead of being filled with daunting golds and reds, the room seemed almost blanched white with sunlight since the top half of the upper walls had been folded up as one does a folding screen. The effect of this action was that room became more of a big balcony than anything else. It would be possible for them to jump down into the courtyard from here if they wanted to.

Shuffling into the room, Inuyasha was startled to see a large wooden tray with two items on it, a box made of bone and a silken scroll. Strangely, his name was written upon them. Hastily, Inuyasha looked around and not seeing his brother anywhere snatched up the scroll to read it. The one simple phrase it contained mystified him.

"Be loyal to your true clan?" Inuyasha repeated after the scroll. Setting it down, he picked up the other item on the tray, the small box made of sun-bleached bone. It smelled like non-youkai ox to him.

Opening the box cautiously Inuyasha peered inside. His jaw practically fell open as he saw nothing less than the stone statue Sesshomaru had forceably taken from him yesterday. But as he reached down into the box to retrieve it, his hand was visibly repulsed just as Sesshomaru was unable to hold the Tetsusiaga.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed. "What kind of trick is this?" Shaking the box upside down, he tried fruitlessly to retrieve his treasure.

"Hm," said Kagome over his shoulder examining the situation. "Maybe he is trying to make a point to you."

"No, he's just trying to mess with me!" shouted Inuyasha shaking his hand with the box furiously at a mile a minute.

In time, Inuyasha settled down though he was still unable to remove the token Bounsa has given him from the box. He and Kagome sat down to lunch and chewed their food thoughtfully. In the afternoon, they wandered outside so that they could stretch their legs, chase each other, and maybe get a little battle practice in. On the whole, it wasn't such a bad afternoon.

When evening descended again, Inuyasha and Kagome still waited anxiously for the return of Sesshomaru, partly because it was his word that he would show them the ruins which might lead them to finding Taihen. But partly, it was because of the unresolved problems which had so recently burst to the forefront.

The couple were leaning there in the now familiar dining hall, casually leaning against the table when Jakin stumbled in, the Staff of Two Skulls clenched in his hands. He bowed before Inuyasha.

"Lord Inuyasha," squeaked Jakin importantly. "My Master Sesshomaru requests an audience with you in the central hall. You and your lady are to come with me immediately." How could hanyou say no?


	60. Chapter 60

**_Chapter 60: Discovery_**

Far away, in a small village in a place that would one day become Tokyo, a kitsune girl was sweeping the steps of a temple. Around her feet, her young brother skipped, fluffing out his bushy tail.

"Shippo!" shouted Uruwashii wrathfully as his laughing mushrooms began to spill all over the stairway and climbing up her broom. She took a swipe at Shippo and the broom handle landed on Shippo's head.

"Oo-ow!" stuttered Shippo clutching his head and tearing up. "You're just as mean as Inuyasha!"

"No, I'm worse!" shouted Uruwashii chasing after her little brother with the broom. Shippo gave out a terrified scream and ran away.

Hearing a commotion outside her hut, the high priestess Kaede shuffled outside her hut. She watched as the two feisty kitsune cubs ran back and forth along the path to her house smiling perhaps a little bit. As she watched quietly, three other figures appeared on the roadway and climbed towards her little hut. A family of three approached her and bowed their heads respectfully.

"High priestess Kaede," said Miroku with an intention of honor, "how are you faring today?"

The aged priestess smiled, the lines in her face quirking up as she spoke with a zest for life that was admirable in anyone, especially for an old woman. Still, within her face there was an underlying weariness too as if the forceful way of time was beginning to bear her down. The problems too, that drifted within the lives of the young ones around her sorrowed her.

"I am doing well today Miroku-sama. I hope that you and Sango-sama are faring well, as well as your son."

"Yes, well he is doing much better in his training," said Miroku bashfully. "Still there are some things to work yet."

"Like Mom has to stop being so paranoid," said Kohaku dolefully.

"Now, now," said Miroku reaching over to clap a hand to the back of his son. "Your mother is just trying to protect you."

"From everything including dust," said Kohaku mouthily. "She wouldn't even let me take on that ant youkai yesterday."

"Yes, well perhaps you have been hanging around with Inuyasha's kids too much lately," said Miroku changing the subject. "You're even starting to sound like him."

"What! I am not!" said Kohaku throwing off the arm off his parent. He stopped when he saw Uruwashii coming up to him.

"Oh…oh. Uruwashii. Forgive me Father. I have to go," said Kohaku skipping off happily where he intercepted Uruwashii as she frantically looked for Shippo.

"Hum," said Kaede thoughtfully. "I would not blame Inuyasha so hastily if I were you. It is in the nature of young ones to try to find their own determination and the influence of which you speak may be coming from another direction."

"Yeah," said Shippo popping up suddenly and laying himself out on Kaede's shoulder. "Uruwashii is one bad vixen. Miroku, I would watch out for my sister if I were you. When Kagome gets back and brings us ningen treats, I'll bet that she eats all the pocky and then blames me."

"I would do what?" vengeantly spoke a flame directly behind Shippo and half-hidden behind Kaede.

"Big Sister!" said Shippo before vaulting off Kaede's shoulder and once again running terrified. "Miroku, Sango, a demon is chasing after me!" the little kitsune cried.

"Hm, hm, hm," said Sango breaking into stifled laughter.

"Huh?" said Miroku puzzled and clasping Sango hands into his own. A hopeful smile light up on his face and he peered into the face of his beloved wife.

"Sango," he said piercingly, "it has been so long since I have heard you laugh."

"I know," said Sango turning her head away from him though he still held onto her hand. "It's just that I don't seem able to. A lot of things have happened, and then… I feel like I don't deserve to."

"Now, now Sango," said Miroku pulling her close to him. "Don't be that way. All is forgiven. We can't change the past but we can't live in our regrets right?"

"No, I guess we can't," Sango said dullenly.

Miroku sighed. "Well I guess it's back to square one. Shippo, Uruwashii, come back here and dance for us."

"Miroku," said Sango warningly. "You can't cheer me up by just trying."

"Neha," said Miroku woefully.

For a while Kaede kept her peace but after watching the monk and demon slayer in front of her for a while she decided to offer her advice.

"Miroku, it is true that sometimes a heart can not be healed by well-wishes alone. Sometimes it takes time or something else to replace or mend that which was taken from it. Sometimes a heart does not heal at all. One can only wait and watch to see what will happen doing all the best that you can do. And Sango," said the old woman dropping her voice so that she spoke gently to the young woman in front of her, "do not forget those who try to do their best for you."

"I know Kaede," said Sango timidly. "It's just that so much happened, and so much is my fault. But most of all, I just wish…" The tears trembled in her eyes and they just stopped. But then she continued.

"I just wish that I had been a better sister to him in the first place. Then none of this would have happened." The young woman with the slain heart broke into fresh wails and buried herself in her husband's arms as his own face contorted with regret.

"Forgive me Sango," he said stroking her back gently. "I can never repent enough. I can never finish repenting, for what I did to you and to…"

"Kahoku," said Sesshomaru sternly. "That is the name of you taikoji's (demon-slayer's) brother is it not?"

Inuyasha started. "What would Kohaku be doing here? He's dead and had been for nine years Sesshomaru."

"Humph," the taiyouaki replied. "He is not dead and has been residing in my castle all this time. He has had his difficulties but now it seems he is prepared to see his older sister."

"What?" shouted Inuyasha standing up on his feet. "After all that happened? After I… that crazy woman… after all that has happened you go and say the reason for that is…"

"Still alive," said Sesshomaru cooly. "I see it does not please you little brother that I revived him with the Tenseiga. But I did not do it for you sake. I did it to honor the wishes of someone I could not save."

"Huh?" said Inuyasha blinking completely confused. Everything was so damn bewildering these days.

"That is all I have to say for now Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru rising to his feet from where had been kneeling on the tatami mat on an old style Japanese floor. He walked to the door where a servant let him out, bowed, then slid the door shut behind him. The female servant, whom has drooping ears which looked like they belonged to a lamb, crept forward on her knees.

"Forgive me your Lord and Ladyship but Lord Sesshomaru has requested that I guide you to the residence of Kohaku-sama."

Inuyasha looked up at her and nodded.

Flying over the fields which stretched around the castle, the demon known as Sesshomaru let his mind wander. The youkai winds he wrapped around himself to lift airily of the ground reminded him of someone, as did the natural winds that drifted directionless across the sky.

"Kagura," said he spoke to the essence of wind itself. "I saved him for you."

The dog-demon was met with a fierce rattling of breeze as sorrow passed away.


	61. Chapter 61

**_Chapter 61: Truce_**

"And that is the whole story," said Kagome fidgeting. For a long time, Kohaku could not say anything.

"Did my... sister really do that?" he choked out finally.

"Yes," said Kagome standing up at last. "I'm sorry."

"No," Kohaku implored. "I am sorry. For my part in all of this." He clasped hold of her hands. "Please, if there is anything to do... I will search for her."

Kagome nodded. Tears ran her eyes. "Thank you for that," she said gratefully.

Far away from Sesshomaru's castle, the wind stirred, wafting the scent of blood over the sunny fields. A young girl with a pike over her shoulder stepped over a dead hand. She smiled a wicked smile and turned back to look at the castle behind her. "Thanks for the clothes mortals," she said with mirth in her voice. In her hands she clutched a woman's kimono.

The figure looked back around and began to go on her way. Her eyes flashed a deep gold and her ears were like those of a dog, mottled black and white. A set of two fangs poked out from her grin.

The figure wandered away from the destruction at the castle and leapt down a cliff face to land in a small stream valley. Water trickled down the walls around her and she peered into the pools below. Fish panicked and fled at sight of her.

The figure humphed and brushed out her long hair with her fingers. She had white hair braided distinctively up at the front and along the sides. She sat down on a rock and patiently, she reworked the kimono with thread until she created a robe for herself to fight in. It was slit partway up the side. She removed her old outfit of a dark blue and replaced it with a black silk kimono with silver flowers on it. She peered down into the water at her new reflection and admired herself.

"Not bad Taihen," she said to herself clipping a blue flower to her hair. The wind stirred her locks casting it across her shoulder. A crow flew overhead and she looked up at it. An icy flash of blue chased the crow across the sky and Taihen whistled. A spectral bird flew down and landed on her shoulder.

"Humph," voiced the figure again as her pet settled down. She twirled her pike ominously, the bird never shifting from her shoulder. She leapt up into the air and the bird fell back behind her as she slashed through a huge boulder and rebounded, twirling through the air to slice through part of the cliff top, creating an avalanche. She landed in the diminishing cascade of stone and looked back into the water now littered with rubble debris.

"Not bad," she said. "Nanashii," she called. The tiny bird landed on her fingers and she stared it in the eye. Blue mist emanated from its feathers. Taihen stroked it fondly. Then she tossed it back into the air. "Go tell Mother I'm coming," she said. Quietly, she watched it fly away. She pulled out some armored shin, arm, and chest guards from behind a rock and tied them on quietly. She added two crossed swords to her back along with their halter. Peacefully, she shouldered her pike and began to walk forward.

The afternoon stretched on into silence, punctuated only by the whoosh of grass brushed by the wind. Taihen stopped stare, completely zoned out at the scenery. She closed her eyes lost in thought. She sought to remember something.

"Mother," a much younger Taihen spoke. "Don't lie to me. You aren't my real mother are you?"

"No dearest," crooned Senestrice. "But I saved you. Your real mother and father didn't want you. They just left you out in the cold my dear, and I being a benevolent blizzard let you in. They are detestable beings actually. They killed my two other daughters without just cause. You must aid me and our Lord Naraku, Taihen. Only then can we attain our just cause of revenge. Revenge for your abandonment, and for your two sisters."

Taihen opened her eyes once again, far from any cave haunted by an ice spirit. Instead she looked upon the sunny flowers and long grass weaving in front of her.

"Do I really want revenge?" asked Taihen out loud to herself. A rabbit bounded in front of her, careless.

A wicked grin spread across Taihen's face. "Yes!" she spoke creepily. She left the meadow with a decapitated rabbit in her wake and blood on her pike.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62: On Grandmother's Side of the Well**

Miroku had no choice. Distance bound them to their isolation, also a lack of knowing. Sighing, he dwelt on the message Sesshomaru's messenger had given him, as well as the action he was about to perform. Aijo and Yasuo stood before him lined at the well. He kneeled down and handed Aijo a single jewel fragment in a bottle.

"Aijo," he said solemnly with all importance in his words. "If you lose this, you will never be able to return to this world. Take care of your brother well. Go immediately to your grandmother's and do not wander. Kagome, your mother, and your father as well, wrote to me. They asked me to tell you that they love you. Kagome also says to do well at school."

Aijo looked down at his five year old brother whom was holding his hand tightly. He had been taught how to read and write yet he had heard of schools in the modern era from his mother. In a way, he was excited about the prospect but at the same time he felt reluctant to leave this era behind. It was his home and already the absence of a sword at his belt left his heart fraught with emptiness. He looked over to his youthful companions and gulped.

"Goodbye Shippo," he said uncertainly to his "elder" brother. He looked anxiously too, at Uruwashii whom had prided herself on acting like big sister to all of them. Finally, he looked at Kohaku, Sango and Miroku's son, who nodded and shuffled about miserably. Shippo, he knew, could take care of himself but he felt sorry for the junior Kohaku who looked up to him and had no siblings of his own.

"Goodbye Kohaku," said Aijo. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said to everyone and especially himself. Summoning bravery, he climbed to the edge of the well and peered down into the depths below. He remembered what he had been instructed.

Aijo took his little brother up in his arms. Jumping down, a bright blue light enveloped him and he touched down in a darkened well house. He looked up above him and saw rafters. Deftly, he leapt upwards, carrying his brother with him. He set Yasuo down on his feet by the door and slid it open carefully. The dank, and dusty air flooded away, replaced by unpleasant city air with its pollution. Aijo coughed but continued on bravely.

Purposely, the quarter-hanyou marched across the white stone flagging, gazing curiously at his mother's childhood home. Politely, he knocked on the front door and waited.

Slowly, the doorframe was opened. A middle-aged woman peered out. She stared down at the two children without recognition. Slowly, she began to observe their strange clothes but she smiled gently as she spoke.

"What can I do for you two children?" said Grandma Higurashi in the soft breath of a kitten. Her eyes were numb, as if they had lost their vitality somewhere.

"Grandma?" said Aijo uncertainly. "It's me, Aijo Higurashi, the son of Inuyasha and Kagome. I've come to visit you."

The woman's eyes widened and the shawl wrapped around her shoulders nearly dropped.

"Kagome? My Kagome?" the woman faltered. She kneeled before them and wrapped her arms around Aijo.

"Aijo," she said, tearing leaking out. "It has been so long! Look at you, you're so grown up." She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to look at Yasuo whom was cowering.

"Who is this sweety?" she said smiling. Yasuo scooted farther behind Aijo to hide himself.

"This is Yasuo," Aijo explained politely. "He's my little brother."

"Oh!" said Mrs. Higurashi her facing beginning to lose some of its pallidness, it being replaced by hope instead. "Does that mean my Kagome is all right?"

Aijo exchanged looks with his brother, who was totally out the conversation anyway. He returned his gaze to the older woman.

"Momma is fine. She and Daddy are on a journey so they sent us here to go to school."

"Is that so?" the woman said. "Well come in dears." She wrapped both of them in a crushing hug then ushered them inside.

The smell of melted candles assaulted Aijo's senses. He looked up on the mantle and saw a funeral photograph of a wizened old man. Mrs. Higurashi saw him looking.

"Father passed away last week," she said with a sad look. "He was very old and it was just his time to go, I suppose. Still, I miss him dearly." Looking wistfully, she turned to the stairs just as a pile of gradeschoolers came flocking down it.

"Hey Grandma!" whined a spiky-haired even younger than Yasuo. "When's Mamma coming home?" He tugged on Mrs. Higurashi's knee and she kneeled to look at him.

"Soon, Daisuke, soon. Your mother went out shopping. I'm sure she'll return quickly."

Aijo regarded the boy in front of him. He had big brown eyes with an unfriendly stare. One of the clasps on his overalls was loosened so that it draped. Daisuke stared at him in return, his tiny lips forced down in a frown.

"Grandma!" the young one whined once again. "Why are there girls here?"

"Girls!" started Aijo, not realizing that his long hair made him look like one. He looked about wildly. Grandma Higurashi began to laugh and enfolded Daisuke in a hug."Daisuke, these aren't girls. They are your cousins. They've come back from a far off country and they'll be staying with us for a little while."

Daisuke freed himself and looked at the intruders. Aijo looked back not pleased at the young boy her considered to be a brat but Yasuo stepped in front of him with a wide grin on the face.

"I'm Yasuo!" he said shaking his cousin's hand enthusiastically just as his mother had taught him at bedtime stories. Daisuke endured his arm being wrenched up and down for two minutes, then he struggled to get free of the vice-like grip.

"Er, yeah. My name is Daisuke," said their cousin proudly. "My Father is in charge of the temple here." Yasuo and Ajio exchanged looks.

"Can he do anything...," Aijo began.

"Or is he just a fraud!" finished Yasuo happily with complete innocence.

"Why you!" shouted their cousin angrily.

In short order, Daisuke's friends went home and Grandma Higurashi decided where Aijo and Yasuo would be staying. She led them up a set of stairs and pried open a long unused door. She walked across the dusty room to a window and creaked it open.

"There," said Grandma Higurashi smiling in gratitude. "I'll have to clean up a bit before you stay here for the night. Why don't you two go downstairs and play for a little while?"

"Grandma, what's that?" said Yasuo leaping up to the window and sniffing around it. Yasuo could see the Goshinoboku from here, as well as a tree that bore several clawmarks on a limb that looked just perfect to sleep on.

"This is the window silly," said Grandma Higurashi not sure what he was referencing. Yasuo guessed it was the stale odor of their parents, himself.

"Your mother and father both used to go in and out that window all the time, like Romeo and Juliet," Mrs. Higurashi bubbled onwards, oblivious.

"Romeo?" said Aijo uncertainly.

"Oh, that's right!" said Mrs. Higurashi clapping a hand to her face. "You two haven't been to school yet and you probably wouldn't have covered such things at your age. Well, anyway I'm going to call the school immediately and tell them you'll be coming tomorrow. Once Souta comes home, maybe he'll take both of you shopping for school things."

Aijo looked uncertain about all this and Yasuo kept his eyes fixated on his elder brother. "Aijo, " he whined anxiously.

"Shush," said Aijo as sternly as if this was a battle situation. "It will be okay." Yasuo sneezed and rubbed his nose as they walked downstairs.

They went and rejoined their cousin in the living room. Happily, he showed Yasuo how to battle video game monsters and the young quarter-demon sat before the dizzying box happily. For his part, Aijo thought it was boring. He was used to battling REAL monsters, not cheap ones that disappeared with a bling. He was used to the blood and sweat, the tears and gore. His nose relished in pungent aftermath of a battle thanks to his demon blood. He had grown up accustomed to bandages and his calloused hands as they gripped a sword. Aijo reviled in it all. It was his heritage. It was his duty. It was his call.

Now Aijo sat in a cool living room on a soft couch, listening to the gentle fizzle of a soda pop and the soft blow of an air conditioner. It was enough to drive a man insane, since that's what he liked to call himself just as Shippo, his big brother did. He longed to feel the weight of the sword his father had given to him strapped by his side once more.

For his part, Yasuo was having a great time. He had never had that much opportunity for battle and frankly, he was somewhat content to watch his father, brother, their companions, and even his mother take on demons and bandits. So far, he found this new world to be an adventure, someplace special he had never seen before. Everything interested him, from the pop-top lid of his soda pop to the cars that buzzed around on the street outside. His feet were itching to explore and he eagerly prodded everything, including the electrical socket earning himself a buzz. Fortunately, he was part demon so it did not affect him too much. Settling himself down in front of Daisuke's video game, he merrily began to jam the buttons with his intense reflexes, earning himself cheers from Daisuke.

After a while, Daisuke led his curious cousin into his room so that he could show him his notebook pc. The laptop computer whirred busily, then winked on displaying all sorts of pictures and text. Yasuo's finger drifted towards it

"Hey! Don't touch the screen!" his cousin shouted angrily stopping him. Clicking rapidly on one drop-down box then another, he toured them around the computer showing off all his cool games in which space men blasted alien creatures or similar.

"Daisuke!" a woman's voice called. A pretty woman with sandy-blond hair and blue eyes stepped in followed by a man in jeans and tee-shirt. "Daisuke! It's time for dinner. Bring your cousin with you."

Yasuo stared up at the happy couple. The young man, in his twenties, came over and kneeled before him. He placed a fond hand on top of his hair.

"So you're Yasuo," said Souta Higurashi happily. "I'm your Uncle. You can call me Souta if you want to."

"Um, Uncle Souta," Yasuo reiterated.

"Come on now," said Souta Higurashi picking up Yasuo and carrying Souta piggy back style as his wife disappeared downstairs with their child.

A few minutes later downstairs, Aijo fidgeted at the dinner table. "So you're Hitome?" he asked Souta's wife suspiciously. She beamed.

"Yes, I'm Souta's childhood sweetheart," she explained to him. "As soon as we were able to, we got married and I moved into this shrine. I've been happy ever since."

Souta munched on some chips happily, content with his life. Grandma Higurashi came into the room bearing the two more bowls of soup for Aijo and Yasuo whom had already drained theirs dry.

"Here you go," she said sweetly. "I'm afraid we don't have anymore stew but we do have ramen. Your father was fond of it when he was here. Go ahead, try it."

Experimentally, Aijo shuffled a tiny smiggen into his mouth and chewed on it thoughtfully. Two seconds later, the bowl was gone.

"More please!" Aijo and Yasuo both shouted at the same time.

"Oh my," said Mrs. Higurashi taking the bowls from them.

* * *

After an elaborate dinner at a huge table with Sesshomaru sitting at the far, far end, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru finally left for the ruins. Kohaku accompanied them. What they found greatly disturbed Inuyasha. They toured the shattered caves, dens, huts, and palaces of some fourteen youkai, all which had been sites of a brutal battle and judging from the corpses, each of the youkai attacked had met a grisly end. Distressingly, the scent found at each site was undeniably that of his lost daughter.

"It seems the pup has yet to perfect its technique," Sesshomaru stated bluntly gazing at a cast-off chunk of armor. "In few of the battles was she able to immediately throw a winning strike."

Inuyasha sat down on his haunches quietly. He wondered, puzzled, how his life had managed to get so messed up right now. Longingly, he thought of warm riverbanks and the laughter of his two sons as he taught them to fish, using their claws of course. Or perhaps, the cool summer nights when he held Kagome wrapped tight up in his arms as they snuggled together, swaying in the bows of a tree as they gazed at the stars above. Right now, he was desperate for peace, for a way to dispel the truth that was looking straight at him. With sorrowed look, he thought that perhaps Sesshomaru was right and that Taihen was forever gone into the hands of Naraku. Still, he had to try.

"Listen Sesshomaru," said Inuyasha surprising his elder brother. "I think we guard one of your vassals for a while"

"Impossible," said Sesshomaru. "No youkai would want your help hanyou, even if it meant preserving their meager lives."

"Well, make them do it then!" Inuyasha shouted. "You say you're youkai lord after all!"

Sesshomaru's eyebrow nearly twitched at that remark. He ran up and tried to collar Inuyasha, but the wary hanyou dodged, his battle skills causing him to be as slippery as if he were made of oil. The years, it seemed, had left him even more capable than before.

"You are getting better Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru coldly. "I have to give you credit for that." Inuyasha did not savor in the acknowledgement.

"Then give us this chance!" said Inuyasha stubbornly.

"Ha," said Sesshomaru mirthlessly. "We both know you are merely trying to get closer to the girl. I thought I explained to you how dangerous that would be."

"I'm willing to take that chance," said Inuyasha beadily.

The two brothers stared at one other for a minute. They both gazed, seeking, searching for some sign of what the other was thinking. Without warning, Sesshomaru relented.

"Come, hanyou," he said coldly. "But remember that all consequences belong to you."

"It's nice that he's trying to warn him," Kagome thought to herself twitching her ears and tail nervously, "but Inuyasha is always prepared to take chances. Besides, I really want to see if we can save Taihen too. We can't give up, not so early." She followed her mate and unstated brother-in-law to the den of an old racoon-dog, hoping desperately that everything would be all right.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63: Future Flurry**

Sesshomaru led them to the burrow of an old raccoon-badger demon much larger than Hachi, Miroku's friend. It was a simple dwelling, a vast hole dug in the earth with a few storage chests and jars in the back. Bones littered the floor, some human bones part of the mixture. The dwelling, by all appearances, was that of a demon that normally they would slay, not one that they would protect. The demon himself reinforced the notion. He was blind in one eye with a grizzly scar marring his face and when Sesshomaru introduced them he merely sat back on his haunches and stared at the two inu-hanyou with a cold, infuriated glare. With a snuff, he told the two to stay out of his way and that if the stayed outside his den, he would not kill them for loitering. That was the full extent of his benevolence.

Grateful to out in the clear air, Kagome set about making a small fire to cook their dinner. Sweeping the campsite free of twigs with her tail, Kagome unrolled their sleeping bag on the soft, debris-free ground. She waited patiently for her alpha to return from his pit stop. She giggled as he shuffled into view.

"Amazing, Inuyasha," she muttered. "Naraku didn't eat me in the five minutes you were gone." Inuyasha scowled at her.

"You know, you shouldn't be in the habit of making jokes that aren't funny," he scolded throwing a log into the kindling fire. "Of course I get nervous every time I leave you. This is Naraku we're talking about. And Taihen." He said the last few words reluctantly.

"Don't worry Inuyasha," said Kagome clutching his shoulder. "We'll get her back. We've got to try anyway. I know we can do it," she said enthusiastically.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha not so sure. Even if they did manage to convince her to return to them, what would happen then? He wasn't so sure he was ready to know.

Quietly, the two ate a dinner of rice and dried boor's meat, curtsey of Sesshomaru. Then, Inuyasha and Kagome settled down for the night, anxious as to what would come of their wait.

* * *

Daisuke raced up the stairs and pressed his ear to the door, listening to see if his cousins were up yet. Hearing nothing, he knocked on the door loudly and waited for his cousin to answer.

"Yeah?" said Aijo laconically swinging the door open. He had just finished straightening out the creases on his brand-new school uniform. He looked down at Daisuke who held a strange, plastic bottle in his hand and was wearing a goofy grin. "Surprise!" the child said spraying the water pistil straight into Aijo's face. Water cascaded off his bangs.

"Why you!" Aijo said hotly immediately giving the kid chase.

"Iiee!" shouted the kid sliding down the banister but nowhere's near fast enough to elude Aijo who plucked him off and composedly bobbed him on the head.

"Ow! Momma!" cried Daisuke.

"Oh cut your whining," said Aijo heartlessly. He continued on down the hallway while Yasuo jumped out and looked at his newfound friend. Curiously, he picked up the plastic gun and crunched it, splintering it into a million pieces.

"Ah! My Super soaker!" fussed Daisuke.

"Oops, sorry," said Yasuo. He rummaged around his robes and withdrew a steel dagger in leather pouch.

"Here!" said Yasuo very pleased with himself. "This is a GOOD weapon!"

"Um, thanks," said Daisuke a little unnerved at the eight inch hunting blade that had been dumped into his hands. Yasuo danced merrily downstairs for breakfast that unfortunately for him did not consist of ramen noodles. Luckily, Mrs. Higurashi did have a box of what was the most potently sweet cereal imaginable and the two children sat at the table eating it happily while they watched the magic box known as TV.

"It's just like Momma told us!" Yasuo whined happily. "People get sucked into the tube and come out as pictures!"

"I think that's wrong," said Aijo unable to say how.

"Yasuo, Aijo," said Grandma Higurashi coming over with several backpacks. "Don't forget your new bags. Which one belonged to you, Aijo?"

"That one," said Aijo pointing to a green bag with the picture of a samurai on the front cover.

"This one is mine!" said Yasuo happily grabbing hold of one with robots on it. He had been fascinated with Daisuke's video games and tales about giant monsters made of metal so it was not surprising to anyone.

"Let's go then!" said Grandma Higurashi smiling. "I'll walk you to school the first day, okay?" Aijo nodded nervously. The first day passed.

"Yeah!" shouted Yasuo getting out of school that afternoon. "No more school!" He jumped over the fence and began running at a supernatural speed causing passersby to stare.

"Yasuo!" shouted Aijo running to catch him. He jerked on his shirtsleeve, halting him. "We're not supposed to run around like that here. People might get suspicious."

"It's not my fault they're so slow," said Yasuo dourly.

"Oh, shut up," said Aijo nearly popping him. He dragged his little brother along a few feet before dropping him and turning back in the other direction.

"Come on," he said sourly. "We have to go back for Daisuke."

The two brothers walked along for a while. When they were almost to the school, Yasuo spotted a girl kicking a soccer ball. She was about Yasuo's age and wore an ordinary school uniform. Yet she was very pretty with strangely pink colored hair. The ribbons behind her flowed out with an almost ethereal touch.

"You know what," said Aijo halting to study the girl playing. "There's something just not natural about that girl. How can the ribbons be doing that, there's not even a breeze! But I don't sense any youkai."

The little girl ran forward and kicked the ball. In what seemed a deliberate motion to Aijo, she slipped and the ball tumbled forward into the street. Yasuo began to run after it.

"Yasuo!" Aijo cried angrily as his little brother ran under a semi, causing it to screech to a halt as he landed on the roof. A ten-car pileup formed behind it. Fortunately, they were going at slow speeds.

"Here," said Yasuo showing the little girl her soccer ball. "Can I play?"

"Sure," the little girl said narrowing her eyes.

Yasuo dropped the ball and it began to roll. He began to chase after it much as she had done but instead of just kicking it, after a while he pounced it.

"No, no, silly!" said the girl laughing. Aijo shrugged and put his suspicions away.

"By the way," said the little girl. "What is your last name?"

"Err, Takahashi," said Yasuo nervously. It was what his grandmother had told him to say. The girl nearly blinked.

"Does that mean you are related to Sesshomaru Takahashi?" the little girl stated, as if pretending not to care.

"I have an uncle called Sesshomaru," said Yasuo truthfully. "But I don't think he has a last name."

"I see," said the pink haired girl thoughtfully. "Well, I'll see you again in class. Bye-bye, Yasuo!" she said waving then running away.

"Strange girl," thought Aijo somewhat suspiciously. But there weren't demons in this world... were they?

* * *

Weeks passed. Aijo was beginning to hate school already. There was an endless stream of girls giggling flirtingly about him and boys laughing at his uncut hair and "samurai obsession". As a reaction, Aijo had thrown out the samurai book bag and started using one of his mother's old ones. It wasn't much of a sacrifice, since it smelled of fields and battles, which was lulling to his heart. His long hair was a issue he found much harder to deal with. At best, he could wear it in a high ponytail or coiled under a hat (outside of school of course). The problem was, Aijo just couldn't seem to bring himself to cut it. The long hair made him look like his father whom he admired and served as a link to his past. His much beloved past.

Yasuo seemed to be having none of his problems. He had happily shaved off nearly all his hair to gain an attractive boy's cut. Besides this, his younger brother was completely comfortable with all the strange new conveniences. Already, he was toting around one of Daisuke's old handheld game players and was learning how to use those cell-phone thingies. By comparison, Aijo was still trying to figure out how to use the hot water facet.

Aijo sighed unhappily and went to explore the corners of the school grounds. It was after school and as much as he hated the place, his little brother liked it. So, while his little brother lurked after school attending various clubs, Aijo had to wait for him. Dismally, Aijo sat up in a tree dreaming of fuller days.

Abruptly, Aijo perked up. He caught sight of two boys using sticks to swipe at one another. He leapt down and snuck up behind them, using his claws to keep closer to the low-sloping roof of the storage house he was pressed against.

"Hey," said one of the boys firmly. "We had better get these to the gymnasium or the coach will be mad."

"Sure," said the other picking up his own bundle of kendo sticks and following after his companion whom was already many strides away. Aijo followed after them.

"Hum," he said peaking in a doorway. He could see many boys moving around it a sweaty man whom was definitely the teacher. Aijo walked in resolutely.

"Hi!" said a young woman popping up next to him. She wasn't attractive by Miroku's standards, so Aijo felt no flurry of interest. "I'm the coaches' assistant! Perhaps you would like to join our club?"

"Err, yeah, maybe," said Aijo noncommittally and looking away.

"Well, feel free to sit down and watch us, okay!" said the girl. "Then you can tell us if you're interested in joining after!"

"Sure," said Aijo blushing. He sat down on one of the bleaches and looked at the boys practice without much expression.

After half an hour of watching, Aijo was fairly certain he didn't want to join since he was stronger and much faster than they were. He also felt that his moves were better. Still, watching them practice the basics had left him with some sort of hunger for combat, for the way his arms swung in a wide arc and his sword hummed within battle, only to clash angrily against a foes' steel so that he strained, the sweat winding into his bangs and dripping down into his eyes to blind him. Aijo was certain he was fairly crazy but it couldn't stop him from dreaming in this seemingly tame life. It was hard to imagine he had been here only a month.

Stalking out to find his little brother, Aijo bid the assistant coach farewell. He exited as quickly as possible without looking suspicious and rapidly found Aijo playing with the bubblegum-colored hair-girl as well as several others. He had just begun to shoo Yasuo down the sidewalk when much to his chagrin he realized he had forgotten his backpack inside the gymnasium.

Retracing his steps to retrieve it, Aijo suffered the welcomes of the assistant coach, only this time she was joined by a boy several years older than himself.

"Hello," said the boy holding out a hand. "My name is Kiyonori. I'm the captain of this division's kendo league. What is you name?"

"I'm Aijo," was the terse reply. "This is my little brother, Yasuo."

"So, Aijo," said the captain smiling, "interested in kendo?"

"Not much," said Aijo ruthlessly. "I just forgot my backpack. Aw, hey!"

Turning around, Aijo spotted sight of Yasuo who had picked a stick and was emulating the movements of the group.

"Yasuo!" shouted Aijo. "Put that down right now" Yasuo got a mischievous grin on his face.

"Not unless you fight me for it," he said wickedly brandishing it.

Aijo smiled. If anyone in this room, he could count on his brother for a good fight. "You got it," said Aijo devilishly. He grabbed up a kendo stick and did a flip over Yasuo's head, landing squarely on the ground facing him. He forgot all rules and self-inhibitions here in this moment of joy. He charged with the lightening speed of thunder and the room began to swirl with the flurry of motion as the two swung kendo sticks at one another, imagining they were blades. Yasuo kept evading and was doing a very good job at it. Though Aijo had strength, he did not press it, enjoying the match instead as they abandoned all pretenses and bounced off the ceilings, pounded fists through the ground, and fought claw to claw until that one stick could be captured. They were blissfully aware of the pandemonium they were causing.

Around them, all the club members had fled. At the opposite end of the room, they huddled in a corner observing the quarter-demon's actions. First, Aijo sailed down with an overhead drop, which Yasuo stalled. Then Yasuo had kicked out at his brother's feet as he had dropped to the ground and he had tumbled over Yasuo's back instead which would have meant victory if the little one hadn't rolled away and held up the sword in front of him menacingly. Yasuo had charged in turn only to be evaded by his elder brother as a matador does a bull. Dropping all pretenses to find lost guards, they began to throw sword blows one at another, which quickly turned into Aijo swiping at Yasuo with one hand. The younger brother leapt back and tucked the stick away into his belt which oddly enough he had insisted on wearing and ran forward with claws outstretched. The two kicked out at one another and tried to punch. Somewhere along the line, perhaps due to Kouga's influence, their mother had adopted kicking into her style and they had learned it from her. Tumbling about, Aijo leapt up and careened down from the ceiling to kick at Yasuo, only to miss as he did a mid-air turn, sticking his tongue out jeeringly.

"Ha, ha!" said Yasuo cheatingly. Aijo smiled.

"Don't do that you little twerp!" he said angrily running up as if to clash swords again. Instead, he stopped abruptly and smacked his little brother on the back of the head. "Stupid," he said before taking the kendo stick from his belt.

"Oh wow, Aijo!" shrieked the assistant manager. "That was wonderful! You and your brother are incredible!"

"No, not really," Aijo said throwing the stick for her to catch. "We just take after our parents that's all." Ignoring the impulse to grab, Yasuo by the scruff, he pointed him to the door, taking care to retrieve his backpack this time.

It was a quiet walk home. Yasuo kept glaring at Aijo but eventually Yasuo seemed to forgive him. Aijo himself was consumed by moody reflection. It had been a long time since he had spared, and a very long time since it had been somebody decent. Suddenly, he got a sneaky idea.

"Grandma!" Aijo shouted into the house happily. "Can you watch over Yasuo for me please! There's something I have to do!"

The young boy was out of the door in a flash. With half a dozen bounds, he crossed the shrine grounds and rapidly, he found himself inside the well house. Darting a look around, he took out the glass bottle containing a jewel shard that he kept under his protection.

"All right, jewel shard," he said speaking to it. "Take me home!"

Cheerful, the part demon leapt into the well and began to feel its freeing blue light. Joyously, he climbed out of the well. Stealthily he looked around. Aijo took off at a run and continued going until he reached Kaede's hut. There, his old sword hung on the wall and he reached out for it eagerly.

"Looking for something, Aijo?" Miroku asked standing behind him. Shippo popped out of the woodwork as well.

"Uncle Miroku," said Aijo nervously.

"Relax Aijo" the monk replied. "We never said you could never come back here, though it would be wise if you were more careful how you do it."

* * *

Aijo spent the remainder of the afternoon until nightfall practicing and it brought him great contentment. He ate a hurried dinner with his friends and then leapt down the well again. One week later, Aijo's visits to the past would indeed affect the future.

It all started out as an innocent school day. As had become the recent custom, Aijo had spend the afternoon dueling in the feudal era while Yasuo had stayed in the future with Daisuke or his numerous friends. Since the weekend was coming, Aijo decided that after swordsmanship practice with Sango and Miroku, he would be spending the night over, away from the land of the future. While Aijo was away, an interesting and unforeseen event happened. Appearing guiltless at first, it cast Yasuo into an adventure which would affect the rest of his life. It all began with a little girl with bubblegum colored hair.


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64: The Second World Apart**

Of all Inuyasha's children, Yasuo was by far the most naive. The reasons for this were plentiful. For starters, Shippo was a fox and that hardly counts as innocent at all. For seconds, Aijo was older and had much more battle experience. For thirds, Yasuo just hadn't cared. He had always been taken care of by his parents and their friends, as well as his elder siblings so he had no need to worry. Or so he thought. But now, unexpectedly, it was his turn to answer the battle call.

Yasuo's life changing adventure began with a gentle tap at the window. Snoozing more deeply than anyone with demon blood had right to be, it took a good pounding on the roof above him to wake him up. Finally, he got up drowsily rubbing his eyes and looked out the window to see a girl clinging to the vines.

"Kiku!" Yasuo stuttered out throwing the panes open. "What are you doing here Kiku?" It was the girl with bubble-gum colored hair whom attended the same class that he did and whom he considered himself to be friends with.

The girl below him smiled. "You know what Yasuo, looking up at you like that you look like a real Romeo."

"What's a Romeo?" Yasuo uttered, entirely confused. The girl only smiled. Then, unexpectedly, she did a flip and landed nimbly in front of him the room. Yasuo was taken aback. Surely Kiku had never done that before.

"Yasuo Takahaski," the young school girl hissed, no more than eight years old. "You and your brother are requested to accompany me on a mission. You will follow me immediately."

"But Aijo isn't here," the Junior whined. Kiku blinked.

"Then we must depart immediately without him. My boss, your uncle, has been kidnapped and we must rescue him immediately."

Yasuo sweatdropped. "Are you serious?" he asked her.

"Yes," the young girl said furiously, "and we won't be able to save him unless we hurry. I'll fill you in on the details later."

"Sure," said Yasuo not certain he wanted to go with the crazy girl. Even he was not that naive. She might throw an ofuda on him or something and from his recollection that hurt.

"I'll just write a note then," he said stalling.

"There's no time," said the girl grabbing a hold of his wrist as a pair of bubble-gum pink wings sprouted from her shoulders. Yasuo startled.

"All right, I'll follow you... on the ground," he said pulling his arm free. Surprised by his strength Kiku let him go.

"All right," she said sternly jumping out the window to glide down on wings like a bat. The pink faded away to be replaced by a mossy green instead, a far more natural color.

"All right, I know," she said catching him staring. "I know it's a hideous color which is why I dye my hair pink, okay? Boys are so stupid," she grumbled.

"No, it's okay!" Yasuo lied. Maybe he had been hanging around Miroku too much lately.

Leaping down from the window, Yasuo took off at a rapid pace, deliberately stepping in the mud left by a recent rain and making himself easier to trace should his brother ever return. Kiku smiled at him and sailed even closer.

"You're pretty good," she said as she guided him up to the rooftops and into the city, "and pretty fast too," she added appreciatively.

"Yeah, I have to be," said Yasuo, "to keep up with my old man." Kiku giggled.

"Speaking of old men, the ancient ruler's office is up ahead." Kiku veered off and sailed towards a colossal hundred-story building full of glass windows. She flew through a shattered window at the top floor and Yasuo was left with one of two options, "A" to try to enter the building or "B" to scale it using his claws. He chose the second of the two options. Crashing into the building a few minutes later, Yasuo found Kiku looking at him, her wings crossed irritably above her.

"About time you got here," she said sternly. "My fellow guards will be here shortly. However, in the meantime, wear this." She offered him a watch, a cell phone, and two tiny chips.

"What is this?" said Yasuo cluelessly. Kiku shrugged.

"One is for your collar," she explained clipping in under his shirt, "so you can speak. One is for your ear so you can hear," she said placing it in the palm of his hand, "and the rest are just duplicates. They will allow you to access communications at anytime." Yasuo looked at her before pocketing the second chip.

"Who are you," he said firmly. "How is it you are a youkai, but you don't have any smell?"

"Oh that?" said Kiku pulling a medallion off. "A standard spell. Amazed you didn't know about it. Where have you been Yasuo?"

"Nowhere," he said quickly humming to himself.

"Well, anyway," continued Kiku. "I was personally hired by Lord Sesshomaru, the reigning taiyoukai, to look after you. It was he who arranged for you to use the same last name that your late, or I mean to say, CURRENT father bore. Unfortunately, it seems to have been a bit of a mistake on his part because it allowed the Spiritual Services Organization to collect information vital to kidnapping him. I fear that they intend to assassinate him."

"A Spiritual Service Organization is after my Uncle?" said Yasuo dubiously.

Kiku slapped him with the back of a fan.

"Of course they are, because that's what they do! Sheesh Yasuo, where have you been all your life! Never mind, I know the answer to that but it's just our secret, okay?" she said winking. "Anyway, your Uncle has suffered many assassination attempts from humans with spiritual powers such as radical priestesses and monks who believe that the existence of youkai should be exposed and the youkai living amongst humans should be exterminated. Quite cruel people, I must say."

"Right," said Yasuo rubbing his head.

"Yes, well right now we have to focus on getting your uncle back. The balance of power will shift if he is killed and peaceful life as we know it will be destroyed. So we have to get him back!" said Kiku trying to slap him again with fan. Yasuo evaded.

"Hello Kiku," said a tall, bluish woman with fin-like ears at the top. "Beating up on others again? You really must stop that if you want boys to like you," she purred.

"Oh stop," said Kiku with liveliness. "Yasuo likes me, don't you?" He remained silent.

"I'll take that as a no," said the newcomer giggling. Yasuo looked at her and saw that she was beautiful for someone who was not human. She was immensely slender, with a cut high-cut skirt that flared out with a second wrap of ruffled material around the sides and back to give it style. She wore blue leather boots, a white revealing shirt with a diamond-shaped necklace on it, and two tear-dropped shaped pearls for earrings. Her blue hair was short and curled up about her.

While Yasuo was studying the grown-up, a black panther demon with piercing yellow eyes and buff arms came through the same doorway she had entered. "So are we all here?" he said gruffly.

"Where's Riku?" said Kiku looking around.

"I'm here!" said a tiny teenager about two feet tall and not the least bit skinny. She clung to the panther demon's back and Yasuo noticed she was wearing a red outfit. If he had known better, he would have noted that it looked almost like a Santa Clause suit. He did note however, that she was waving her hand around in a very excitable manner.

"Riku!" said Kiku smiling. "How is our favorite priestess today?"

"Just fine," said Riku falling down to the ground. She had curly-toed shoes made of velvet red and a demon-summoning staff with bells on it. Yasuo saw a quiver with arrows as well with tiny bow tied to the side. "We'll show those bullies what happens when they disturb the world order!" she squeaked excitedly.

"That's the spirit girl," said the blue demoness calmly. She turned to Yasuo.

"You'll have to forgive us. We're all a bit eccentric."

"Psst," Kiku hissed at her, "Yasuo's young he probably doesn't know what word means yet!"

"Oh, yeah," said the blue demoness. "I mean we're all a bit different. We like to do things our own way. Which is why we dress funny."

"It is not funny," said Kiku pouting.

"Whatever girl," said the blue demoness shaking her head while raising her hand in a sign of mock despair. "By the way kid, my name is Desiree. It's French."

"The last guy over there is Kyo," said Kiku pointing with her fan.

"Nah-nah-nah!" said Riku pulling at her arm. "It's not polite to point at people!"

"For you it isn't!" said Kiku.

"Um, my Uncle," said Yasuo.

"Let's go," said Desiree firmly and the group of them exited, pushing Yasuo down the stairs with them. He really hoped he hadn't gotten himself into big trouble.

* * *

Half an hour later, Yasuo found himself in a parked car by the bay docks. Kiku was sitting beside him in the driver's seat, eating an egg-salad sandwich while she watched a factory building with her binoculars. Somehow, she no longer inhibited the body of a young child and was in that of a voluptuous teenager. It was too much for the mind of Yasuo to comprehend so he sat there patiently.

"Yes, yes!" said the girl beside him hissing. "Yasuo, put your earplug in. We're going in." She stuffed the rest of the sandwich in her mouth and exited through the rear window of the car, slithering out into the night.

Yasuo slipped on padded feet into the dark alleyway and crept after Kiku, who clung to the walls stealthily, sneaking through the shadows. Yasuo followed as best as he was able. He followed her up the side of a building and across several rooftops. Finally, she bid him to wait and leapt onto the ledge of a small window. She reached into her pocket and withdrew an electronic device that looked like a cell phone. Placing it against the glass, a spiritual aura vanished with a slight violet pulse. Using her claws, Kiku cut through the glass and bid Yasuo to come nearer.

"You go through here," she whispered so slight that it was not audible. Yasuo was slightly puzzled when it came out in his ear "I will go in through the rooftop. They'll be expecting that. The other guards and I will be diverting attention and fighting the humans while you use this," she said throwing a flat rectangle to him, "to blow up the wall and escape with Sesshomaru. Just take off the tape, stick it on the wall, and stand back. Desiree will be waiting with a car. Just be sure that you wait until I give you the signal on my radio to go ahead."

"Okay," said Yasuo nodding nervously. This was definitely not the teamwork he was used to with his family.

Nodding, Kiku lifted herself up and flew stealthily over the tops of the building. Once there, she held her breathe and lay her hand down on the roofing. Pouring a small vial of youkai acid out on tin rooftop, she removed the paneling and slipped inside, transforming into her childlike form.

It was a dim, large factory in there, perhaps once part of a warehouse. Kiku pushed past and the cobwebs and crawled along the ventilation shaft for cover. Taking another deep breath, she looked down.

Something in the corner caught her attention. It gleamed purple, liquid, and ominous. Sneaking over to the furthest corner, she slid down to a white sheet and lifted the corner. Under it, she discovered cases full of cologne, all with the dark gleaming letters of Dark Night's Obsession 22.

"Ah-hah, I thought so!" Kiku said triumphantly to herself. "The Spiritual Services Organization is behind the introduction of illegal perfumes! I should have known. They just want to cause incidents so that youkai will be hated! Curse them all! Who knows what terrible things have happened to persons exposed to their accursed spells!" Catching a scent in the darkness, Kiku threw up the bottle in her hand and shot through it with two handguns.

"Eat lead!" she cried just as a spiritual shield raised itself. A priestess wearing traditional ceremonial robes walked forward.

"We meet again, Kiku," she uttered.

"Yeah, and you can keep the pleasure to yourself!" shouted Kiku as she continued to shoot with one hand. She used her other hand and her teeth to lob a huge handgrenade into the area, creating a greenish mist.

Behind her through the wall, Kyo and Riku entered. "Let's go!" shouted Riku happily sending one of her arrows towards the shield as Kiku spoke into her microphone.

Crawling through the window, Yasuo dropped down through the window. Once there, he found himself in a brick room with a single table in at. At the far end was a chair, and tied to it was a youkai. He had snow-white hair and he was wearing a silver business suit. He had blue crescents on his face and when Yasuo approached, he opened his eyes. Yasuo found himself looking into eyes the same amber as his own.

Yasuo looked earnestly at the man. "I'm here to help you escape... Uncle," he whispered. The stoic youkai looked at him.

"I'm covered with ofudas," he said as if this was a boring question. "I can not move."

"That's all right!" said Yasuo. "My mother is a priestess! Perhaps I can remove some of them. Besides, I can always carry ya."

"Perhaps that would be best," said Sesshomaru calmly. "We can not waste time here."

"Right!" said Yasuo running over to the same wall as the window. "Let's go!" He unstuck the tape from the youkai explosives and strapped it to the wall, hefting up the table, he hid himself and Sesshomaru behind it. The wall exploded and crumbled with a fury of smoke. A car veered towards them.

"Come on!" shouted Desiree wearing a slouched hat. Yasuo heaved his Uncle over his shoulder and carried him in the car. He tossed himself in as their drove off with a squeal to the tires.

"Wow!" shouted Yasuo. "Make this metal monster go faster!" Desiree gave him a strange look. Behind them, several black cars began to pursue them and ammunition began to fire.

"Hold on!" said Desiree screeching throw the back alleys nearly dumping the car. She whirled around the corners and on a straight stretch she yelled for Yasuo.

"Take hold of the wheel!" she demanded. She pulled a glowing machine gun from underneath the seat cushion and began to shoot it at their pursuers. Yasuo desperately tired to keep the car under control and nearly ran them up two trees. Fortunately, one of their pursuers did.

"Good going kid," said Desiree taking hold of the wheel again. She floored it as they ran up an unconstructed bridge.

"Ahh!" screamed Yasuo as their car went careening into the void, only to be carried by Kiku whom had shown up, flying above them along with a few other bat demons.

"Does this happen to you often, Uncle?" Yasuo asked the man tied up in the backseat.

"From time to time," he said serenely. "But if you untie me, I would like to go down for a little payback." Desiree grinned and pulled the slouch hat over her eyes.

* * *

"Wow, Yasuo," said Kiku as she escorted him up to his window at Higurashi Shrine just before the break of dawn. "You were really great today!" She was back in her child-like form.

"I suppose," said Yasuo modestly. He could hardly believe what had happened.

"Well, your Uncle says that I should give this to you, so that these things don't happen again. Now you can begin your training!" She handed him a glow-in-the-dark watch.

"Um, my Uncle said I could have this?"

"Yeah!" said Kiku giving him the sign for victory. "Welcome to the Shessy Secret Service!"

Yasuo leapt up back into his window as he gazed out at Kiku who was clinging onto the vines for the second time that night. She giggled.

"You know Yasuo," she said continuing to giggle. "When you grow up you're sure to be quite handsome. So from now on, you'll be my Romeo, all right?"

"What's a Romeo?" Yasuo repeated.

"You are," said Kiku silkily. "And I'm your Juliet." Floating up in her childlike form, she kissed him on the cheek.

Yasuo watched her float away. "Girls," he said blushing and wiping the lipstick off his cheek.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65: A Glimpse of Snow**

A month had passed. Disheartened and worn out by her irritable, unendurable husband, Kagome was ready to give up. Though they had kept careful watch at the entrance of the tanuki's den, nothing had happened to him or any of Sesshomaru's vassals. Kohaku, whom had begun to scour the lands along with a youkai servant called Sumire, had been unable to find any sign of her presence.

It had come to the point where Inuyasha and Kagome both wanted to tell each other that they thought they were wasting their time. However, neither one wanted to admit it and both were equally stubborn. For this reason several days passed without either exhibiting that they both had come to the same conclusion. Just as Kagome was finally about to break and goad Inuyasha into leaving, the sky began to stir with unnatural cloud formations. A chill winter blast with frozen ice bits in it slashed across their faces as the giant racoon-dog they were protecting ran out of his burrow.

The ice demon Senestice floated up along a malevolent sky. At the edges of the clouds she stood, lightening flashing around her feet and flurries of snow descending. A vast army of Naraku's minions accompanied her. Beside her, a young girl stood only a little older than Yasuo (nine). Long white hair was braided up the front and down the back. A blue crystalline flower was clipped to hair and a spectral bird to match flew by her side. Her kimono was silver with black flowers and she was heavily armored. A fierce some pike was held causally at her side, while two swords lay crossed upon her back. Importantly, she had two little black and white mottled ears at the top. Inuyasha and Kagome both stood riveted at the sight.

"Mother," said the girl looking at Senestice with a toothy grin. "Do I kill all these people?"

"Yes," Senestice replied.

The girl smiled, a wicked grin consuming her features.

"Taihen!" Kagome shouted desperately. "It's us, we're your family! Come back to us, don't let that demon trick you!" Anger flashed through the young girl's eyes.

"Don't be stupid," she said pointing the tip her pike at Kagome's heart. "I can tell by your smell the that you are not my mother. The other one however," she said drifting closer and landing on a small storm cloud to look at him. "Must die," she ended cooly.

"What?" said Inuyasha his eyes widening. His fist tightened.

"What did you do to her, witch?" he said vehemently to the ice demoness.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Inuyasha," she said smirking. "You are one who abandoned her. Taihen, kill them," she commanded.

"Yes mother," said the girl. "I have been waiting for this, father!"

The quarter demon swooped down and ran her pike through the air where Inuyasha been, only to find it snagged by Inuyasha.

"Taihen," he said reaching out for here. "Come back here."

The girl flipped free into the air abandoning her pike. "No!" she said defiantly bringing out her swords. "You will not get in my way either!"

With as much wrath as an angry toddler, the girl slammed her swords into Inuyasha's Tetsusiaga and he held her off mildly. Kagome stood back thinking about it.

"I know!" she said finally. "Maybe I can create a barrier around her and this time... if Inuyasha can just hold off Senestice we can save her!"

Kagome relayed all this through their strengthening link and Inuyasha nodded. He raised up his sword seemingly leaving himself open and with blinding speed, he sidestepped to grab hold of Taihen and toss her like a rag doll to Kagome who raised a barrier around them. At the same time, she had to hold her arrow out menacingly to stave off the angry girl who was flexing her claws as if the shred her.

Senestice screeched out angrily and pulled out her mirror again.

"Don't think that will work twice!" said Inuyasha. He blasted the windscar into the sky but was careful to not damage Kagome's barrier.

Senestice responded by sending a barrage of ice daggers slamming to the ground causing Inuyasha to twist around dodging them. He did not yield his ground however and repositioned himself in front the barrier. Senestice was consistently winding away, just beyond reach of his windscar so Inuyasha used his diamond-blast attack to send large jagged pieces of diamonds the size of boulders towards her. One them flew directly towards her. Senestice tried to catch it using her cascading water of ice crystals but the effort only managed to slow it down. The ice demoness rapidly raised a shield ice around her, but it was not enough and it cracked. Though she diverted the spear with her glowing hands, the diamond spear hit Senestice leaving a hole her ribcage. The ice demoness gasped and fell over unconscious.

"Mother!" shouted Taihen watching angrily.

"Snap out it!" said Inuyasha angrily. "She ain't your mother."

"You're wrong!" the girl said trembling with rage. "I don't care what you say, the great ice demon Senestice is my mother!" Tears trembled in the girl's eyes and Inuyasha lowered his sword to look at her. To his shock the girl lunched forward at Kagome, pulling out both her swords.

"Eep!" said Kagome launching her arrow somewhere far off so as not to hit her but hopefully to stall her. The arrow landed into the ground with a blast. Kagome did a backwards flip just as the two swords took a swipe at where she had been one after another. She shifted to the left to evade another strike, and then ducked. Rolling away, she looked at the girl reproachfully yet with sympathy.

"Please come back to us... Taihen," she said softly extending a hand in the true manner of Kagome.

"Never!" said Taihen whirling one of the swords like a baton. She whirled it out at Kagome who desperately slid to Taihen's side and tried to knee the hilt up out her hand. Her actions failed as Taihen drew away to the right. She tried to strike Kagome again but she found her blade against Inuyasha's Tetsusiaga again. The barrier had vanished long ago and he had moved in to guard his mate.

All of a sudden, the girl took off running, sheathing her remaining sword.

"Oh no you don't!" said Inuyasha pursuing her.

Taihen leapt onto a stream of Naraku's demons as they came down from the sky to attack. She picked up her discarded pike and threw it at Inuyasha. It would be difficult to block since he was busy punching out the demons trying to eat him. To her displeasure, he merely parried it with his arm. It did him no harm and simply broke against the firerat robe. Grabbing hold of Senestice, she flew away on a cloud amidst a cloud of saimyoushou.

"Taihen!" said Inuyasha hurtfully. "Damn it!" he said hitting the ground with his fist. After a while, he whirled around.

"Let's go home Kagome," he said suddenly surprising her. "Sesshomaru's right, the only way to save her is to kill Naraku. She is an enemy... just like Kohaku was. "

"Inuyasha," said Kagome tearing up. She could already tell he was suffering. The confusion and hurt was in his eyes so she lay her head against his shoulder.

"You're right," she said sniffing. "We should tell Miroku and Sango. Besides, I want to see Yasuo and Aijo." Distractedly, he wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair, consoling her but just as much himself.

* * *

Taihen stepped into the entrance of a furnished cave and lay the ice demoness onto a large bed, carved from the rock itself. Clumsily, she tended the demoness's wounds and crawled up onto the comforter. With anxiety in her eyes, she gazed down at her mother and watched until her long, languid lashes raised up to reveal her sapphire eyes.

"Taihen," said the demoness sweetly raising herself slightly. "Did you look after me?" Gingerly, she wrapped her arms around the girl beside her.

"Yes mother," said the girl burying her nose in her shirt. "I was so worried mother, you got hurt really badly."

"It's all right Taihen," Senestice quietly. "You fought really hard today. I'm proud."

Taihen nodded and stayed there quietly as the woman consolingly stroked her hair. Breathing in happily, the girl with two dog-ears mottled black and white closed her eyes. Curled up contently, the demoness cradled Taihen and began to hum a gentle lullaby.

* * *

If you're still reading this, I have the answer to a question asked by greenman. The method I use for one of my stories to write a complicated plot (like cake), then add layers on top of that and lots of frosting. I go with the artistic momentum. It may not be polished, but it's developing.


	66. Chapter 66

Author Notes: This next piece is more of a connector than anything. I'll probably be rearranging things sometime in the future so watchout for construction! Thank you for being patient and for reading. Hope you like it!

**Chapter 66: Changing Seasons**

Despair flooded the heart of a certain hanyou, but he wasn't about to show it. Grudgingly, he made his way back to Kaede's village. Perhaps predictably, the pace of this red-cloaked figure was not that of someone fleeing their problems. Instead, the hanyou had on taken an unusually slow tread that gave him enough time to engage in the moody reflection that was common to him. It reminded Kagome deeply of those days in which he would wander around aimlessly, staring upwards into the sky as if to catch his stray, longing thoughts of Kikyo while she still wandered the earth much to the torment of his heart. Quietly, Kagome laid a hand on her heart at the recollection which would have proved hurtful to her at some other time. Yet now, life and time had left her so altered that those memories seemed to belong to another lifetime, to another girl and in fact they had. She was no longer the Kagome of more than ten years ago. The brash, bold-mouthed, and daring young girl with the bad temper was gone, to be replaced by someone similar yet tempered by the fires and trials of life. She was so much calmer now. So much smoother. Much more flat perhaps, with less of a sparkling excitement towards life. It was if the lashing, lapping pools she had glided along in her youth were gone as now her emotional river had steered into deeper and calmer waters. Time and experience had, in effect, done what it does to all others, tempering her emotions while heightening their long-term intensity so that no longer could she laugh, could she cry with the heady bubble and flamboyance of youth. It was saddening really, yet at the same time advantageous, for no longer could one such memory, among the many others she had garnered, affect her to the point of breaking. The pain she had felt about Kikyo back then seemed to be no more than faint scar now and time had bid her forget who she really was back then, or the fullness of feeling she had gone through. It was as if that segment of her life had been erased.

Kagome looked up the path towards her hanyou companion. Judging by the look in his eyes as he gazed back at her, Inuyasha had undertaken a similar journey. The past, it seemed, had finally settled into the past and no more, no not once over the last ten or more years, had she ever caught him looking at her as if she was someone else. Though Kikyo's soul had reabsorbed into her, there was no doubt in her mind that the only woman he saw before him was Kagome. More than that, he seemed contented. No more did he wander around with the look as if longing for something. It was gladdening, Kagome thought, because even if Kikyo's name was mentioned her hanyou husband gave hardly a reaction, looking only bored, proving he was her dedicated mate and no longer the obsessed young boy he had once been. At the same time, it was saddening, Kagome thought, because now that he had finally managed to let go of that one all consuming pain, another source of suffering had come to take its place. It was at times such as these that she was grateful that her maiden surname was Higurashi, meaning one day at a time. Such a sentiment toward life well-suited their present situation.

Sighing, Kagome picked up a stick and began to distract herself from her tiring reflections. Emptying the mind seemed a good practice for the moment so she concentrated dutifully into sharpening the branch with her claws until it took the shape and length of an arrow shaft. It was a task she was well-accustomed to since she continued to use arrows even in this hanyou form. It had been a strange twist of fate that a temple maiden had been able to retain her spiritual powers even after she was no longer a virgin but she guessed that the gods had given her some sort of exception. It only signified, Miroku had stated, that she still had some important task to complete. She hoped earnestly that the task she had been given was that of defeating Naraku, whom to this day had continued to elude them.

Turning around, Inuyasha spotted Kagome fidgeting with something and walking even more slowly than usual. "Hurry up!" he shouted irritably, crossing his arms and glaring in an unforgiving manner. Kagome sighed yet again and tucked the stick away, bounding over to him in several graceful leaps.

"What is it Koishi?" she said somewhat flippantly, rubbing her cheek and ears against him. Shamelessly, she grabbed hold of his left ear and began to rub it between her thumb and index finger. Inuyasha fought off a garbled purr and pushed her away, noting her grin and slowly waving tail.

"Not now!" he said sternly yet losing some of his momentum. "What is wrong with you! We're supposed to be getting back to the kids, remember?" He said all this in the usual, rude speech pattern. It was the only way he knew how to speak, after all. Yet, the tone contrasted, being delivered in an apologetic and softened manner.

Kagome halted, almost faking a pout but deciding it wasn't her style. She went for the direct approach instead.

"Now see here, Inuyasha," she said raising a clawed finger. "I want to get back as quickly as you do! I haven't seen the kids for a while and now it's finally the chance for me to visit my family! Of course I want to go! But maybe we should stop for lunch," she said slyly refusing to blame him for being the slow one.

Inuyasha sighed and turned around to march off in another direction. "Come on then," he said briskly. Sniffing the air carefully, he led the way to the nearest stream and settled down along the riverbank. Ignoring Kagome, he peered down into the depths of the water on all fours, waiting patiently for a school of fish to languidly swim closer. Then he with a sharp, silvery flash of claws, he flipped one fine, large, fat fish onto the riverbank. Triumphantly, he looked over at Kagome.

"There we go!" Inuyasha boasted, looking over to his companion. Kagome, however, gave him no satisfaction of an acknowledgement. Instead, she continued to carefully build a fire using brittle sticks. Finally determining that her goal had been accomplished, she rolled up her sleeves and hunkered down on the riverbank, beside Inuyasha. Studying the water carefully, she surprised Inuyasha by darting her claws into the cool waters below her and raking up a second fish just as big as the first.

"Ha!" said Kagome, her eyes glittering in wicked tease. "I can catch fish just as good as you, mister!"

"Is that a challenge?" Inuyasha said rankled yet with a pleased grin.

"It sure is, dog-boy," said Kagome pressing her nose up next to his. She flashed him a wicked smile again.

"Then get ready to eat your words!" said Inuyasha excitedly pressing up his sleeves, his blood trilling. He fairly dove into the water and began to bat three no four, no was that seven fish onto the bank where they flopped around wildly. To her credit, Kagome had blocked the school of fish on the other side and was keeping up.

"Hah, take that!" she said giddily looking around. "Uh oh." It had seemed that they had fished the river out which, she knew from her years of hunting with Inuyasha, was simply not respectful. Carefully, Kagome let down a wriggling fish which she had caught harmlessly around the tail and watched it swim off. Inuyasha similarly climbed out of the river and kicked two stunned but relatively undamaged fish from the riverbank, hoping they would live. Still, they had in all a catch of more than a dozen and it was by far too much for them to eat it one sitting.

"Oh well!" said Inuyasha shrugging and cracking his shoulder. He bent down and plucked up a half dozen of them by their gills. "We might as well dry them for the rest of our journey. It saves us the trouble of hunting." Kagome nodded and leapt onto the riverbank, shaking the rolling drops of water off her clothes, ears, and long tail in a very doggish manner.

The hanyou couple walked over to the tiny, crackling fire that had nearly gone out in her absence. They poked it alive with new brush, then gathered and added dry logs to build up the embers. Halving, then skewering each of the twenty fish they had caught, they set them up near the dimly blistering coals so that they would dry. When the work had been carried out to the point that they could watch, Kagome knelt down and removed two of the fishes from the fire's glow.

"Here," she spoke softly, turning one over so that she could lay it in Inuyasha's hands. She cuddled up next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder as they munched on their fish. Suddenly Kagome made a choking noise.

"What is it?" Inuyasha said anxiously clasping a clawed hand round her shoulder. "Are you all right Kagome!" Kagome, for her part merely waved him away.

"It's all right," she said dismissively. "It's just that eating has been hard for me of late. You had better eat this for me." She handed her stick to Inuyasha. Realization was dawning in his eyes.

"You were nauseous at breakfast too," he said trying to lead her.

"Yeah," said Kagome blushing. "I think I may be pregnant again." Inuyasha sighed and pulled her up on his knee so that he could nestle his chin on her head.

"If that's all it is why didn't you tell me before. You know, drama doesn't really suit you." Kagome blushed and squiggled about in his arms so that she could look at him.

"I just really didn't want you to know, quite yet. The timing is not exactly good, you know! I just thought.. it would be easier if we thought about this later."

Inuyasha sighed again, more out of stress than anything. He let Kagome slither off his lap and finished eating her fish. After a minute, he darted her a curious look,

"What happened?" he said chewing through a mouthful of fish bones. "I thought you said we have enough kids for now?"

"Well," said Kagome fidgeting. "I figured that... it would be really nice if we had a little girl."

"A girl," said Inuyasha groaning inwardly. He should have known better. Of course she would have wanted a girl. This was Kagome after all. He only hoped that if this next pup was indeed a girl, it didn't get attacked with ribbons half as much as Kilala did. For a minute, he merely sat there consumed by visions of a miniature Kagome bedecked with a frilly dress, bonnet, and baby shoes. He decided he didn't like the vision at all.

"All right, Kagome," he said sternly looking at her. "We have this baby on one condition. I choose what we buy for her at the mall." Kagome giggled. She remembered accurately the horrified expression that had been on his face when, so many years ago, she had held up some poofy, pink nightgowns in jest while they were shopping for Aijo's clothes.

"All right, Inuyasha," she said lovingly laying her head against his shoulder and breathing in his scent. He wrapped his arm around her and noted, with a small jolt, when Kagome's long tail wend around his waist to bring them more into proximity with one another. That had never happened before.

"What's the matter, dearest?" Kagome purred observing his startled expression. She blew into his ear playfully.

"Rrrr," said Inuyasha growling playfully. He leaned her back forcing her to lie in his arms. "If that's how it's going to be I'll have to show you what you get for teasing." Yanking up her silvery kimono, he exposed her belly for only a moment so that he could lay a few sloppy kisses and heated licks to it. Then, dropping the hem of her garment rapidly, he scooted away. Kagome was heated in more way than one.

"Inuyasha, you get back here!" she intoned wrathfully. Inuyasha rolled up his eyes to the sky and tried to look blameless.

"Save that attitude for our anniversary darling," he said innocently. "It's coming up soon after all."

"Yeah," said Kagome forgetting her wrath and her eyes dissolving into a dreamy watering. "I'll have to add licking to our list." Inuyasha sniggered.

"What kind?" he said looking as if to count on his fingers. Kagome caught his hand and shook her head no.

"Let's just concentrate on drying this fish, okay?" she said flopping herself down by the fire and skulking about the chore they had brought upon themselves. Behind her, Inuyasha resumed counting on his fingers.

* * *

The afternoon passed by without further argument and three hours before sunset, everything had been packed and the fire doused. Kagome rejoiced in the fact that they were on the road again and one step closer to her mother, brother, and hopefully ji-chan (grandpa). It had been so long she had seen them all and she was very excited and nervous about seeing changes to the modern world. With a slight gulp, she realized that now she belonged to the past in more ways than one since she had not been there to witness the last dozen years. Was Japan even a country anymore? One could never tell.

While Kagome mulled over these thoughts, she hardly noticed as a certain flea bounced over onto her shoulder and latched onto her neck. Without thinking, she slapped it away.

"Oh Myouga, it's you," she said plainly watching the flattened flea drift down to the earth.

"Erk," groaned the flea. Dismally he sat up. "I'm getting to old for this," he said miserably before leaping once more onto Kagome's shoulder in an enthusiastic manner.

"Lady Kagome," said Myouga waving his buggy arms around. "Lord Inuyasha! Totosai sends an urgent message for you!"

"Oh hi, Myouga," said Inuyasha lightly bending down to look at his old retainer. "Been hiding out at Totasai's lately?"

"Yes, yes," sputtered the flea, "but that's not what's important! Totosia's tools have been stolen, oh ga!" the flea flustered. Inuyasha picked him up between his nails.

"Totosia's tools, hum," said Inuyasha thoughtfully, before tossing Myouga onto his head. "Well, too bad, cause we're going back to the village now."

"No! Master Inuyasha!" said the flea leaping up from the dust and desperately trying to tug the hanyou's hair. "The tools must be recovered! Who knows what kind of disasters may rage across this land if you do not act now!"

"Save it!" said Inuyasha batting the flea off. "I'm not interested."

"Inuyasha!" said Kagome sternly. Her eyes looked sorrowed from the knowledge of what she was giving up but she pressed forward anyway. "You heard Myouga, we have to help!"

"Kagome," he said crossing his arms and studying her. "I thought you said you were eager to get back. This is your chance to finally see you family, and besides the kids are waiting."

"I know," said Kagome regretfully. "But we have to help them. He's right Inuyasha, if we leave things as they are they might get worse. Besides, I'm sure Totosai needs his tools back."

"Keh," said Inuyasha disdainfully. "All right. We'll help, but only if we go back first. We'll pick up the others and you can visit your mother for a day. All right?"

"Thank you, Inuyasha," said Kagome tearfully.

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi was just opening her front door carefully in the early morning dawn, preparing to sweep the shrine courtyard when she chanced to see something standing out in the gleaming early morning sun. She had to squint her eyes to make out two figures approaching from the well-house. As the sun died down, she recognized one as someone she knew and the other made her jaw drop.

"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi stuttered looking at the girl in a shimmering silvery, flowing kimono. She looked radiant, flushed with youth and happiness. Inuyasha's hand was wrapped around her own. Even more miraculous, two dog ears seemed to have sprouted from her head and looked natural compared to the long, elegant sweeping tail that cascaded out from her. A ring and necklace of diamond had been added somewhere along the line.

"Mama!" said Kagome happily holding out her hands. The older woman drew her daughter into her arms in a tight clasp.

"Oh Kagome, how glad I am to see you!" Mrs. Higurashi mumbled. Up above them, two boys were leaning out the window and waved their hands to the figures far below. They caught their father's watchful eye and he nodded, still not taking his gaze from the scene before him.

"Momma's here!" said Yasuo stating the obvious. Aio just rolled his eyes. "Let's get going then. You better say goodbye to your girlfriend," he teased.

"She is not a girlfriend!" said Yasuo angrily slamming the door.

"Then what is she?" said Aijo instigatingly.

"Um, nothing," said Yasuo mysteriously, preferring not to let in his brother on his secret work.

"I get the last of the icecream from the freezer!" shouted Aijo halfway down the stairs. He was enjoying how he could pick on Yasuo lately. It was sweet revenge to him. Yasuo was such an annoying little brother after all.

"Do not!" shouted Yasuo angrily bolting after him.


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67: Totosai's Tools**

The sun boring down on them was intense enough to scorch a hanyou's ears. Uncomfortable, Inuyasha twitched his delicate appendages to nestle them in his hair, momentarily gaining relief from the sun and the deafening roar of cicadas. Behind him, Kagome tottered along with similar complaints, though being less prideful than him she allowed her tongue to hang out from her mouth in a doggish pant. Secretly, Inuyasha was desperate to do the same thing but a lifetime of denial to his dog-like features had conditioned him to bearing anything painful to spare his vanity. Finally, unable to take the sound of his mate's suffering or to stave off the impulse to pant himself, Inuyasha called out a halt for a break. In gratitude, all members of Inuyasha'a party hid themselves beneath the deep green, shady, and tingling leaves of a large basswood by the edge of a channel bank following a village road.

Whipping out a pair of fans, Uruwashii leant back across a stump. She flicked open one of the fans and began to gust herself while handing the other to Shippo.

"Here, little brother," she said seriously. "Start fanning."

"Thanks Uruwashii!" said Shippo startled by the unusually kind gesture and beginning to send soft breezes towards himself. Uruwashii promptly clicked his fan closed with one of her deft paws.

"Not you, you idiot," she said calmly. "I meant for you to fan me."

"What!" screeched Shippo outraged throwing Uruwashii's fan onto her head with a sharp wrap. Star-gazed for a moment, Uruwashii began to growl and pursue Shippo wrathfully. Rolling away from one of his sister's pounces with a squeak, the little fox demon began to run wildly. "Inuyasha, Kagome," he called out desperately. "Uruwashii's being mean to me again!"

"Come back here you pipsqueak!" said Uruwashii vehemently swinging her fan and trying to bob Shippo with it. Inuyasha and the others watched passively for the inevitable conclusion. They knew that Shippo had picked up his fair share of tricks while traveling with them so what happened next came no surprise to them. Panting, Uruwashii pursued Shippo until he cowered at the edge of the riverbank. Then, Uruwashii triumphantly leapt on top of Shippo whom appeared to stay riveted with terrified eyes.

"Come to me!" said Uruwashii pouncing on the figure of Shippo. Much to her surprise what appeared to be Shippo disappeared with a poof of smoke, revealing a large, kitsune magic powered top. "Ieeii!" shouted Uruwashii overbalancing on the top's pinnacle. Much to her chagrin, the force from her pounce sent her sliding off the top and plummeting into the river below. Embarrassed, the older, bossy fox demon came up sputtering and had to be dragged out by the end of Miroku's staff.

"Uruwashii-chan," said Miroku softly speaking for all of them. "If I may be so bold, it may be advisable for you to remember your role as a kind, wise older sister. Shippo is a very cunning fox demon after."

"That's right, that's right!" said Shippo triumphantly leaping up to hide behind Miroku's shoulder at Uruwashii's glare. Grumbling, she wandered off to dry her clothes using flames.

"Whew!" said Kagome breaking the silence suddenly, "it sure is hot!" Half-heartedly she waved a hand before her face and Sango had to nod her head in agreement. Sango decided that the sultry, simmering, heat was really getting to her brain and her blood, freezing them both into an inactive stupor. The demonslayer yawned and sat down, tucking her knees up and leaning her head against them so that she could rest. Miroku took a spot opposite the tree while the kids lay strewn out on the grassy carpet near the tranquil river. For her part, Kagome leant back and examined the glitterings of sunlight as it flashed brilliantly through the lattice of the tree. Sitting up, she looked off into the distance towards a few diminutive, poofy clouds and she spotted something promising.

"Hey, look there!" said Kagome excitedly pointing a clawed finger. "I see something!"

"Ah, the gods are smiling on us indeed," said Miroku gratefully as Hachii the racoon-dog began to descend towards them. Hachii untransformed from his flying form and thumped a paw to his chest, wheezed out the air from his transformation.

"Hello everyone!" he said bowing and assuming his high-pitched whine. "Master Mushin sent me to assist you, my friends, saying that he had received a letter asking for my help."

"Indeed, Hachii," said Miroku amiably. "It is a pleasure to see you again my old friend. It has been far, far too long."

The two old friends gossiped for a bit, dwelling on old times and new pleasures before turning to business. Ultimately, Hachii ageed to help fly everyone to Totsai's so that their long, sweaty journey was brought to an abrupt end. Everyone was overjoyed as they rose up miles high in the sky to where the atmosphere was cool and mildly breezy. It was like plunging into a pool after walking past Totosai's lavafield and everyone lavished in the relief.

The miles rolled past, the landscape sank into miniature below them. The miles rolled on in a pleasant manner and ultimately, their flight ended far too soon. Hachii landed gracefully on a grassy strip just outside the teeth of Totosai's hut. The sound of tear-wracked sobbing came rolling out from within.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at eachother in askance then walked in. There, in a room whose walls were notably bare, Totosai sat bawling. Oddly enough, his three-eyed cow was standing at a wooden table across from him, dipping his muzzle into what appeared to be a large tub of saki. Totosai similarly had a bottle for himself. Inuyasha walked up disgusted and slapped him on the arm, functionally knocking him over.

"What's the matter old man, feeling sorry for yourself?" the hanyou said smirking. "I never would have thought they'd get past you. I thought you would have pulled their teeth out with your pliers or something."

"Inuyasha!" said Kagome wrathfully. "You're not helping!" She knelt down by the senior and helped him up gently. "Can you tell us what happened?" she said soothingly.

"Oh, it was terrible, just terrible," the old swordsmith moaned. "I had just gone out to fetch water for Mo when suddenly the area became clouded over with dust and the smell of marshy places. Without warning, an army of swamp demons appeared and seized all of the weapons I had fashioned for other customers. Even worse, they took my tools and even the coals from my very own fire. It is simply too much to bear," ended the old man sadly shaking his head and falling into tears again.

Myouga, whom had tagged along, took this moment as the opportune time to leap up onto Inuyasha's shoulder in order use it for a prominent speaking platform. "Master Inuyasha," she said importantly crossing two sets of arms as he gave a determined glare. "You must retrieve Master Totosai's tools for him. If you are every to have the Tetsusiaga repaired or sharpened ever again, their retrieval is critical. Besides this, Master Totosai's tools were of a very rare and special manufacture in order to be able to forge demon swords. As such, who knows what manner of horrible use they may put to! Moreover, it is regrettable that such a theft has left an old man out of his livelihood, especially a devoted servant of your father!" After this, Totosai resumed his bawling.

"There, there." said Kagome trying to consol Totosai. "Inuyasha, we have to do something!"

"Indeed," said Miroku.

"Yeah!" said Aijo and Yasuo in unison. Shippo and his sister nodded in agreement.

"Humph," said Inuyasha folding his arms. "I guess it couldn't hurt."

Totosai brightened up and regained his crusty voice. "Then you all should journey to the valley south of here. I have heard of some stirrings there involving the water youkai and a local human town. If anyone has my tools it is likely to be them."

"Yeah, yeah," said Inuyasha muttering.

* * *

It was an easy matter to find the decaying, stinking, murky, damp, and squishy region criss-crossed with reeds, dead trees, and sunken vegetation of which Totosai was referring. Covering his nose from the stench, the inu-hanyou looked down into the bubbling cesspools that marked the worst area of the swamp. Strangely, the region seemed deathly silent.

In all, Kagome thought the area might have been beautiful if it had not been for the sulfur scent and lack of familiar. The gray, blanched bones of drowned trees stared back her yet at their base small groves of leathery bushes sank down to stabilize the banks and give refuge to birds. In other places, moss draped down from the few trees which seemed to flourish here, massive and spreading in their stature. Upon their banks, a few wildflowers bloomed. Across the surface of the deeper pools, a few lilies drifted and irises spread. It was undeniable however, that where the water stalled unable to move through a thick dam of vegetation, a hideous sight met her eyes. Here, within stagnant pools the acidity of the decaying matter was so great that neither plant nor seed could live, save a scummy algae that was easily discounted. Similarly, no creatures seemed to dwell in the mass, not even youkai which ran counter to their expectations.

"Damn it!" said Inuyasha irritably slamming the blade of Tetsusiaga into the soft terrain over which they had struggled for the last half an hour, searching. "Totosai said we would find them here but so far I'm detecting nothing." He threw a stone into the scummy water and did that which came so naturally to him. He sulked.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome reached up to fondly grab hold of both his ears. Twisting them so that he turned towards her she kissed him lightly. "Don't worry about it so much, we'll find them." Aijo and Yasuo looked away quickly, blushing.

"Yeah, all right, I know Kagome," he said turning around so that his back was to her and the most she could do was hold onto his round shoulder. "I should have known better than to think that anything is that simple. We'll just have to sniff them out in order to find them. We should probably go back to Totosai's before the trail begins to fade."

"Hold on Inuyasha," said Miroku holding a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Totosai mentioned that the demons were troubling a human village. "If we go there we, we many be able to inquire about the demons. That way, we could determine precisely what kind of demons we are dealing with."

"Keh," said Inuyasha grumpily. "Fine then," he conceded.

Sango and Kilala raced up into the sky scouting, then came drifting gracefully down. "Kagome," said Sango whom had taken it as a habit to avoid speaking to Inuyasha directly as though convinced she had lost that right, "there is a village only a few miles away from here. I did not see any fires however."

"That seems suspicious," said Miroku shrewdly. Sango nodded and allowed herself to be collected by his side. Her son, Kohaku curiously watched the exchange.

So the party of eleven, or actually twelve counting Myouga, continued forward until the rumored village came into view. The fires were indeed all out and the cottages, as well as the streets were bare of any human inhabitants.

"It seems," said Miroku thoughtfully, "that something unfortunate has happened to this village." Sango nodded in reply and stood back to back with him surveying the eerie street.

Without much debate, the group assumed that the demons whom had taken Totosai's tools were indeed nearby, perhaps in the swamps afterall or the neighboring countryside. Since it was already falling late, they moved into one of huts and stoked a fire. After a meal of rice, stewed dry vegetables, and dried fruit, they all settled back to sleep or to keep watch as the stars began to burn their places into the absence of sun.


	68. Chapter 68

Without much debate, the group assumed that the demons whom had taken Totosai's tools were indeed nearby, perhaps in the swamps of the neighboring countryside. Since it was already falling late, they moved into one of huts and stoked a fire. After a meal of rice, stewed dry vegetables, and dried fruit, they all settled back to sleep or to keep watch as the stars began to burn their places into the absence of sun.

The night yawned, solemn in its outcomings. Inuyasha relaxed, catching vestiges of sleep while keeping his trained ear focused on the sounds above the gentle snoring. He flickered an ear every now and then as something more than the wind stirred. It was only a matter of time before his golden eyes opened wide.

"Miroku," he said earnestly kicking the said monk over slightly. "Aijo, you come too. Someone or something is outside."

Aijo rolled out his sleeping bag while his younger brother mumbled something about frozen catfish before turning over in his sleep. "I'm coming," Aijo breathed out softly.

Four pairs of youkai eyes, more or less turned themselves upon Inuyasha. Kagome's was one of them. "You stay here," Inuyasha uttered softly. She nodded.

Aijo followed his infamous father outside their hut, pride glowing in his eyes. Inwardly, he was rejoicing that his father was relying on him and anxiously he scanned the darkened hills.

"There!" he said eagerly pointing a finger toward the edge of a bank walling the village. A pair of broad shoulders and a head had been outlined for a moment, accompanied with strange glowing eyes. Then it abruptly disappeared.

Inuyasha and Miroku had been quick to observe the figure as well. Unfortunately, the way Aijo had pointed his finger and the way the three men turned their attention to the ridge had told the demon clearly that he had been observed. Hence, it had fled. Inuyasha hastened to the site the demon had occupied and inspected it. He sniffed around deeply.

"Smell that?" he prompted Aijo.

"Yeah," said Aijo humbly before his idol. "It smells like marsh water and mud." Aijo waited with bated breath and his doubt was replaced by a glowing satisfaction when his father nodded.

"Should we go after them?" said Miroku hesitantly.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha with decision. "Let's go back and wake the others."

Soon, the party was journeying forward into the deep heart of the forest. A pair of kitsunes provided them with a guiding light, with Shippo at the front and Uruwashii bringing up the rear on Kilala. In between, Inuyasha, Miroku, Kagome, Sango, Kohaku, Aijo, and Yasuo marched in between. Hodji hovered nervously behind Miroku while Myoga was hidden on the shoulder of some unknown person.

The night air had started out sultry, saturated with the unrenounced heat of the day. Yet, now the moistness had taken on a certain chill with the depth of the night and Sango's son, Kohaku shivered. Uruwashii and Kilala both noticed, one with a sympathetic growl and the other with a fond sigh. "Kohaku," Uruwashii called out gently as she extended her tail with a supernatural range. Much to Kohaku's astonishment, he found himself being surrounded then lifted up by a long silky tail then deposited gently on the back of Kilala. The tail removed itself and he found himself staring into Uruwashii's emerald eyes as she turned round to look at him.

"Ride back here with me," the female kitsune seemed to mew. Dumbly, Kohaku nodded and held on tight.

The air was silent save the noise of a few lingering crickets, too adamant to let the night go.

"Morning will break soon," Uruwashii muttered.

"How do you know?" Kohaku whispered back to her.

"I just do," she said with a knowing smile.

The grass was damp below Kilala's paws as they tread onwards. Up ahead, Inuyasha suddenly drew his sword and the party came to an abrupt pileup.

"What is it?" Uruwashii could hear Kagome hissing. The blue firelight reflected off her twitching ears.

"I sense demons," was the calm reply.

Uruwashii tensed and Kohaku could feel her tighten. "Don't worry," he said with his hands still around her waist. "I will protect you."

Startled, Uruwashii turned around and looked on his calm face. "Thanks," she said demurely.

Up ahead and surrounding them, hundreds of scurrying legs began to be heard and the scent of marsh and mud began to flood over them, winding through the trunks of the forest. A swooshing wind began to be heard as the winds of youkai stirred the air restlessly.

Everyone began to tense and ready his or her weapons. Up ahead, Shippo stood splayed with his throwing stars in hand. Kagome had out her arrows while Sango stood to her back with the Hiriaktose raised. Miroku had his staff held out while Hodji trembled on the ground. Inuyasha's sons had their swords, respectively, while Kohaku had his chain scythe. Uruwashii meanwhile raised the amount of blue flames she was producing in her hand, causing its liquid glow to slid further into the darkness, revealing a mass of mossy green creatures not too unlike Jakin. They were perhaps larger, with gills, and a bit more blue than green. All of them had minuscule swords or pikes, the effect of which was not quite menacing.

"Huh?" said Inuyasha blinking at the almost comicable sight. "Where is your leader!" he demanded quickly recovering. A wicked laugh soon penetrated to where they were standing as a robed figure moved forward, towering over the many tiny youkai. Several escorts bearing fans and banners accompanied the figure. Not quite imposing, the leader, whom was still a foot shorter than Inuyasha, stopped before him to throw off his hood.

"Behold!" the toad croaked out haughtily displaying himself. Everyone could only stare for a moment.

"This is the demon?" said Inuyasha disbelievingly.

"It is rather disappointing," said Miroku brushing off his shoulder.

"Not this again," said Kagome remembering the Chinese boar youkai that had kidnapped her years ago because they had been sloth to deal with what they considered a weak youkai. "Inuyasha, just get rid of it!"

"Whatever you say," he said almost bored as he raised his Tetsusiaga above his head, intending to use the toad for target practice.

"Giah!" said the toad demon lashing out his sticky tongue before Inuyasha could react. A gloopy poison began to sizzle the hanyou's skin.

"Hah!" said the toad demon leaping back triumphantly. "Get them my minions!" He pointed a finger toward the group and as result they began to be poked by dozens of tiny lances.

"Youch!" was the general outcry. Inuyasha brought down his sword in sweeping motion only to be blasted with a squirt of water as the demons fled. Soon, everyone in Inuyasha's party was drenched to the bone. Unexpectedly, the ground began to rise up beneath their feet and they were bouyed up onto the surface of a sheet of water, only to be catapulted into the air.

"Inuyasha!" cried Kagome as she flew through the air past him, head over heels.

"Kagome!" he cried out desperately.

"Sango!" Miroku called out in worry.

"Miroku! We're gonna crash!" replied Sango.

"Indeed so," said Miroku.

"This is your fault, stupid!" said Aijo wrestling with Yasuo.

"Nah, aw, it's yours!" said Yasuo squabbling.

"Uruwashii," said Kohaku tearfully. "If we die I just want you to know that I think your tail is really beautiful and I'm really sorry I never got a chance to stroke your butt." He was, after all, Miroku's son too.

"I know it is," said Uruwashii smiling. "Hold on tight!"

With a fierce pop, Uruwashii turned into a balloon and caught Kohaku. Kilala curled herself so that she could regain steadiness in the air. With a rapid bolt, she maneuvered herself beneath Sango and then caught Kagome. Up at the front, Hodji caught Miroku and Inuyasha while Shippo caught his two brothers.

"Damn it all," said Inuyasha whom had fallen on his head. He sat up. "Those demons are gonna pay for this," he said sourly.

"Hold on, Inuyasha," said Kagome pointing a finger down at the landscape below. Look at those strange glowing lights below. They look like opposing armies." Sure enough, far below them, a bubbling stream of blue energy was crashing into that of a wall of red.

"That's youkai you're detecting," explained Miroku. "To be exact it's battle aura. It seems that more demons than our amphibious friends are afoot."

"Friends my ass," said Inuyasha rudely.

"Inuyasha!" barked Kagome. "Not in front of the children!"

"Yeah, well they're old enough," he said shrugging.

"I don't want them cussing and jumping around like you due to your bad influence," Kagome hissed back at him.

Unbeknownst to Kagome, Aijo was meanwhile dreaming up all the wonderful curse words and phrases he would like to use someday. A most peculiar glazed look came onto his features.

"What are you thinking about?" said Yasuo looking at his elder brother curiously.

"Nothing," Aijo lied.

"Lying bastard," thought Yasuo.

Not realizing that her efforts were all in vain, Kagome promptly sat Inuyasha as they landed. The two boys looked away quickly at the sight of their father wallowing in the dust, equally determined not to swear in front of their intimidating mother.

"It would seem," said Miroku continuing as if there was no interruption, "that we have found ourselves amongst a youkai battle."

"The monk is indeed correct, Master," said Myoga promptly leaping out of Miroku's violet robes to attach himself to his lord's shoulder. "Master Inuyasha, perhaps we should come back at another time."

"Nothin' doing," said Inuyasha loudly. "We still haven't found out where the humans are being held yet."

"Hmn," said Myoga sinking down to think. "If the humans are indeed alive then they would have to be held captive someplace with a water source in order for them to survive."

"Kagome," spoke Sango all of a sudden. "Let's backtrack the stream leading into the marsh. We know that the demons came originally from the marsh so it is likely they are hiding someplace along the river."

Inuyasha did not say anything in reply. Instead, he watched as Miroku wrapped an arm supportively around Sango. Inuyasha cast his gaze on Kagome too, who looked somewhat sad about something. It was as if she read his heart and how he used to say, "good work Sango," at a time like this but yet now his heart would and must forever stay frozen. Kagome stared too. After watching Inuyasha for a long time and whispering words of comfort through the channel that had been developing for many years, the female inu-hanyou turned towards Sango instead to say the words he could no longer speak.

"I think that's a good idea Sango," she said speaking for the group. "Let's get going."

Obedience registered in the face of all members. As sunrise shed its blush upon the land, it found its way into the creases and folds of a familiar red garment, fashioned from the fur of a fire-rat. Similarly, it brought a spectrum of shimmers to the flowing robe which Kagome wore. The sun also cast its glow onto a landscape marked by boulders and a few remnant reeds as they climbed into the hillside surrounding the marshy places. Backtracking the river as suggested, they came into a rock-strewn, brushy area home to many types of youkai not at all of them being water dwelling. After passing by numerous fox dens, badger holes, and even the den of a bear, they found themselves wending through sapplings towards a thin wisp of smoke twining on the horizon. Topping a rock platform, they found themselves looking onto a tiny hidden village, packed tight with villagers. Many of them were hustling about, hastening in the task of forging the little swords and pikes yielded by the water demons.

"Yo," said Inuyasha approaching them with his obviously human companions. "Anyone want to tell us what is going on here?"

The villagers within hearing range immediately perked up. After looking hopefully at Sango, Miroku, and the other human members of the party, they slammed themselves on the ground. "Oh please," said one of the village men groveling. "Save us from the terrible demons whom have imprisoned us. They are forcing us to complete weapons for them and after this I fear they are going to eat us."

"Not likely," said Inuyasha dubiously. "Most likely they were just making you do something they couldn't do for themselves, being water demons."

"Inuyasha," said Kagome earnestly. "We have to help them."

"Yeah well," he said calmly. "We'll collect the tools and take them back to their village."

"Oh, thank you strangers!" the man garbled.

The group quickly gathered up all the tools they could find. However, much to their dismay the tools were not Totosai's at all but rather that of a normal human manufacture. No demonic energy could be detected in any of them.

"Well, I guess that's it for us here then," said Inuyasha.

"Not quite," said Miroku. "We can not guarantee that the tools are not being hidden somewhere else for some sort of purpose. I would like to take a look around."

"Suit yourself," said Inuyasha shrugging.

So Sango and Kilala flew up again, this time accompanied by Miroku. They flew toward towards the raging battle where the water demons and some oni were fighting. At the sidelines, a caravan could be seen.

"Down there," said Miroku. After landing, Miroku rolled off Kilala and ran into the caravan no doubt belonging to the toad leader. He knocked out several of the guards with his staff and raced inside.

"Just as I thought," said he looking at the stash of Totosai's treasured swords and many of his tools, complete with sharpener. Collapsing the tent around them, he loaded many of them on top of Kilala. They left the grindstone behind, however.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called out as they returned to the village. "We've found most of them! A few are missing however."

"What do you mean?" said Inuyasha. He glanced down and noticed with satisfaction that the evil tongs that had torn out quite a few of his teeth was missing.

"I would appreciate it if you would accompany me, Inuyasha," said Miroku simply.

So everyone traveled rapidly along the ground, running until they came to what was the center of the battlefield. There, the toad demon stood holding off the leader of the other army with what was obviously one of Totosai's swords. A pair of tongs was tied to his belt as well as duplicate swords. A pair of guards glittered on is wrists as well a helmet signifying a rather greedy selection from Totosai's treasures.

"Hey you!" said Inuyasha angrily at the two demon leaders. They looked at him dumbly.

"Get out of here, filthy hanyou!" growled the oni. "Don't interfere. We will destroy the marsh demons and these lands will be ours!"

"A territorial war, huh?" said Inuyasha whipping out his sword. Casually, he threw a windscar at the oni who had slandered him, destroying him and his front ranks. The toad demon fell down onto his rump and scrambled away.

"Not so fast!" said Inuyasha wrathfully coming up to him to glare down menacingly. "I believe you have the property of a vassal of mine."

"Master Inuyasha!" said Myoga tearfully. "To think that you would pledge your care on Totosai's behalf, all for your father's servant!"

"Save it," said Inuyasha swatting the flea. "You had better give those weapons back, toad, unless you want to die." He pointed the tip of the Tetsusiaga towards the toad's midrib to demonstrate.

However, succeeding once, the toad leader thought that he could win again against the hanyou, so he spat out some spittle to gain time to reach his feet. Then, striking with his sword, he swung his blade to meet that of Inuyasha's. Inuyasha, however, quickly slammed against it causing the sword to fly out the toad's hands. Disarmed, the toad tried it again twice with his two remaining swords, each time with the same result. Then he stood gasping as he realized that he was all out of swords.

"Give it up," said Inuyasha sternly.

"Ah ha!" said the toad with sudden inspiration. He wiped out the tongs he had stolen from Totosai and used them to cling onto the Tetsusiaga. Annoyed, Inuyasha punched the toad demon away.

"Give up already," said Inuyasha cracking his knuckles. The demon however, rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out a transparent sphere that began to glow on the demon's palm.

"Ah ha!" said the toad demon laughing manically as bolts of youkai energy began to emanate from the sphere. He began to swell in size until he grew to a multistory height. "Spew!" said the toad demon bellowing out an acid.

"Oh no! Get back everyone!" said Inuyasha roaring. He raised the edge of his robe to protect his face from the spattering gloop that was beginning to creep up around his ankles with angry sizzle.

"Inuyasha!" said Kagome worried from the sidelines. "Get out of there! If this keeps up you'll dissolve!" she ended fretfully.

"I know that!" said Inuyasha bluntly. He took a flying leap upwards and landed on the toad demon's back. He raised his sword seemingly triumphant.

"Hum?" said the toad demon. "Ack, ack, ack," it said rolling over throwing Inuyasha off before he could fell a fatal sweep. Knocked airborne, Inuyasha rolled so that he could land feet first in the acid-strewn ground. To his fortune, there was a rock outcropping so he landed on that instead to spare himself from further injury.

"I've had enough of you!" said Inuyasha vocally. He raised his sword and used a windscar to disintegrate the demon. As the demon vanished in the stream of light, the glowing orb remained and seemed to magic itself to stall before Inuyasha. "Huh?" he said sheathing his sword and reaching out for it. Abruptly, the strange glowing orb sucked up into his eye like a contact.

"What the hell is this thing!" Inuyasha raged with a hand over his eye.

"Inuyasha!" cried out Kagome apprehensively. She scurried towards him.

"What's the matter?" she demanded laying a hand on his shoulder, trying to pry his hand off his eye.

"I don't know," said Inuyasha finally removing his hand. The sight that Kagome saw astonished her.

"Inuyasha," she said in a tone that was deathly serious, "your eye is red just as if you were fully transformed as a demon."

"It will fade in a minute," said a little demoness popping up between the two. She drifted down towards Kagome and was so small that as she landed she used Kagome's hands as a platform.

"Who are you?" said Kagome to the demon with all the appearances of a faerie.

"I'm a firefly demon," said the little demoness. "I live in the swamp near here. Like I said, the red will fade in a minute as the orb conceals itself and its powers. That's precisely how that idiot was supposed to use that thing in the first place. I made it so I should know. How about you," said the little demoness pointing a finger towards Inuyasha. "You are the son of the late demon lord, Inutaisho, aren't you?"

"How do you know about him?" said Inuyasha gruffly.

"I may look young," said the small demon, "but I'm actually quite old. In my day, I crafted various magical objects for the late Lord Inutaisho. The orb is an example of such work. It was completed just before the old dog died so was forced to keep it without compensation for my work."

"I see," said Kagome calmly. "Can you tell us how to take it out?"

"You can't," said the little demoness floating up. "Once it merges with one's powers, it can not be removed until that being dies. Don't worry, it won't hurt you. This object has the unique ability of concentrating one's powers so that they can make the most of them for an attack or a spell, much as you siphon energy through your blade," said the demoness pointing to the Tetsusiaga."

"It won't ever come out?" said Inuyasha earnestly. "But what does it do?"

"Well," said the demoness floating up. "Seeing as you're a half-demon, let's see."

With that, the little demoness startled Inuyasha by swiftly pushing him over. With a red flash, his eye began to burn bright red showing his youkai side and without warning, he became engulfed in a bright red light which flew away some distance before transforming into a gigantic dog. The ground shook and everyone ran for cover, eventually peeking round to see where Inuyasha towered like a mountain, an enormous white dog so large they could not see his head, far larger than Sesshomaru would ever be and definitely taking after his father.

"What the hell is this?" Inuyasha thought to himself wildly. Below him, he could see the world in miniature beneath him. Startled, he leapt up only to find himself drifting in a warm feeling breeze so that his paws disconnected from the earth.

"I'm flying," he thought startled. There was a loud pop and Inuyasha found himself abruptly falling instead. The firefly demoness appeared beside him in the air and used her aura to soften his fall. He still ended up in a large hole.

"You see that," said the demoness excitedly. "Such unexpected results. I wonder if the old dog demon meant to give the orb to you in the first place, he was always such a clever thing."

"That was awesome!" said Inuyasha revved up as he pried his face from the earth. "How do I do that again?"

"You don't," said the old demoness. "I strained my powers trying to make it work. It will take you at least a dozen years to learn how to concentrate power in it, so let it simply meld with you for now, dearie," said the little demoness folding her arms as she drifted along.

"Wow," said Kagome as their little discussion group regathered. "You really are the maker of such a powerful object? Why didn't you sell the orb, or use it yourself for all these years?"

The little demoness nodded and landed on Kagome's hands again. "I said the same thing to myself dearie. The old thing sat in the corner for ages collecting dust but recently the Toad Lord came to me asking if I had anything to make him stronger in preparation for the coming war. The Oni have been trying to move into the swamp these days. So, instead of keeping it I traded it in exchange for some extracted maiden souls. There is nothing like beauty for reward," said the small demon patting her cheek softly.

"So you were using humans for your own purposes?" said Inuyasha grabbing hold of the demoness so that she was clenched in his fist. He shook her up and down roughly. "That's just disgusting!" he ranted.

"I don't know why it should bother you," said the demon sourly. "You and your mate are both are both hanyous.

"That's not the point," said Inuyasha roughly.

"Inuyasha," said Miroku walking up slowly. He turned to the little demoness instead.

"So what you are saying is that you aided the toad demon and the other water imps in capturing humans?" said Miroku calmly.

"Yes, I did," replied the little demoness calmly trying to squirm free from Inuyasha's fist.

"I see," said Miroku closing his eyes with a slightly pained feel. He opened them again as he held up an empty bamboo water container and a sutra.

"Inuyasha," he said suggestively.

"Oh, I get it," said Inuyasha smirking. He shoved the demoness into the bamboo pot forcefully as Miroku shut it and placed the seal on top.

"Hey, let me out!" squeaked the little demoness angrily.

"Nothin' doing," said Inuyasha shaking the jar cruelly. "Tell me, just how many humans did you suck up?"

"Inuyasha," said Miroku once again speaking seriously. "I think we should take her with us to Master Totosai's. He may be able to tell us something about her seeing he was a servant himself. We do have to return his tools to him after all."

"All right."

It was a great deal of work collecting, tying, and transporting all of tools and weapons that had been stolen from Totosai. Hadji struggled to take the massive whetstone by himself while Kilala toiled with a full load of other things. Everyone else had to walk. After several days of commute, they finally found themselves at Totsai's doorstep again and Inuyasha entered the hut.

"Here you go old man," said Inuyasha throwing the pliers so that they landed before Totosai. "We got everything back for you. You better be grateful for this, old man."

"Oh yeah. I'm certain you have my thanks," said Totosai mysteriously. He was surprised when Inuyasha sat down before him.

"So tell me," the hanyou said narrowing his eyes. "Do you know anything about a firefly demon who makes magical objects? Cuz I would like to know what the heck she did to me." Inuyasha passed a hand over his eye and it momentarily glowed a brilliant red before fading back into his normal gold.

"Oh dear," said old Totosai. "I think I need to hear your story from the beginning."

Time passed. "Hum," said the swordsmith after Inuyasha had finished. "I believe I know whom you are talking about. When I was undertaking work for you father, there was another demoness whom I knew of who made instruments to be used in place of sword. Her name was Megumi no Kobe and she was very shrewd as I recall. While I did not always agree with her on her materials or methods, I have to admit she was an artisan of her own accord. The orb within your eye would be testimony to her ability for I have seen only one other such object in all my days. It appears to be an extraordinary creation."

"Is that so," said Inuyasha dismally. "You wouldn't know of a way of getting it out either, would ya?"

"No," said Totosai shaking his head.

"I thought not," ended Inuyasha sighing.

"Well if that's all," said Inuyasha standing up and handing Totosia a sealed water jug with furious screams coming out of it, "then take care of this for us, would ya? We can't have her running round and preying on the villagers again, now can we. Myoga, you stay with Totosai and help him deal with her. See ya." With that, the proud hanyou stalked from the cave.


	69. Chapter 69

At long last, nothing was standing between Kagome and a visit to her family in the "present" or modern era. So, upon returning to Kaede's village, Kagome, Inuyasha, and their two sons bid a temporary farewell to Sango, Miroku, and all the others. They leapt down the well and emerged amongst the remnants of a festival. Mrs. Higurashi was there sweeping the dusty courtyard while a grown-up Sota, dressed in temple robes, took down streamers and lanterns. He wobbled on the ladder when he spotted his sister and her family.

"Kagome," he said fondly, his voice sounding oddly low and robust to Kagome, for whom visions of her young kid brother kept flashing to her mind. "It is good to see you."

"Hello Sota," said Kagome nervously as if waiting for his judgment. How much she had changed over the interceding years became awkwardly apparent to her all of a sudden. She held her breath as her brother descended the ladder and approached across the white flagged walk.

"You have dog ears," said Sota raising up a hand and tweaking them boldly. "They look good on you, Sis," he said smiling.

"Sota!" Kagome cried batting his hand away and blushing. "NEVER touch the ears," she enunciated. She now knew why Inuyasha had been always bothered about it since they were extraordinarily sensitive. Besides that, her memory now contained a number of erotic petting sessions which involved those ears of hers.

"Sorry, Kagome," said Sota lowering his hands. "Just couldn't resist, you know?"

"Seems to run in the family," Inuyasha muttered.

"Well they are awfully cute," said Kagome overhearing and patching over the conversation. "Well, what have you been up to Sota?" Kagome stumbled over her words. Sota shrugged, the years apart seeming to bar one from the other.

"A lot has happened since you left," Sota said simply. "I became the priest for this temple and I got married. You should see my son Daisuke running around here somewhere. Sis," he said with utmost gentleness, "you should visit Grandpa's grave with me."

"I know," said Kagome almost imperceptibly, her eyes shimmering with grief.

They all entered the house together, where Kagome borrowed some proper robes from her mother as well as some incense. Quietly, she trudged by her brother's side to the stone monument celebrating their grandfather's spirit. Gently, she set the stick in the ground before the pillar and clasped her hands in prayer.

"I'm sorry, Ji-chan, that I've been gone," said Kagome tears leaking out the corners of her eyes. "I just want to tell you that I love you, and that I'm doing well. I will have to bring my children here, so you can meet Yasuo. He's a beautiful child, and he looks a little like you did when you were young. He has a very strong chin." Blearily, Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes and lay a flower on the grave.

"Oh Ji-chan," she said softly, "thank you, for everything."

Elsewhere, Inuyasha was rummaging through a cupboard. "Ah yes!" he said triumphantly pulling out an enormous bundle of ramen noodles. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"Um, Father are you talking to a package of noodles?" said Aijo passing by.

"Yeah, so what of it?" Inuyasha put bluntly, the noodles still raised above his head so that he could survey them in all their glory.

"Oh well, I guess that means I should go shopping," said Mrs. Higurashi taking a list off the fridge. "After all, with all you men here I'm going to need a lot more noodles." A smile lit up her features, removing the shadows that had clung there.

A week passed. Inuyasha and Kagome remained in the "present" using the same last name that their children did, Takahashi. Most of the time, they simply hung around the shrine while the children went to school. After most of the week had passed the entire extended family, meaning grandparents and cousins included, went on an outing. Surprisingly, the two households found there was little in common for them since the "Takahashi" family was accustomed to simple pleasures such as fishing, swimming through clean lakes, or basking on a warm sunny day. Moreover, their eyes and ears were delicate to the city pollution and noise, excepting perhaps Yasuo whom seemed unnaturally at home here. So, for lack of better options they decided to go boating in the park. This was exciting to Kagome's mother, brother, and all his family but it was trivial to herself and hers. So, to make up for it they all went out for dinner at a large noodle house.

"Wow!" said Aijo looking up at the brilliantly lit neon sign of the gourmet ramen shop. "This is the most amazing sight I've ever seen, and it smells good!" Eagerly, Aijo sniffed the air with the tip of his fangs poking out.

"Yeah," said Inuyasha letting the scent-drenched air saturate around him. This was like heaven to him. Soon they would be eating steaming hot ramen, with fresh mushrooms and onions in it, even pieces of meat. Eagerly, they passed through the finger-streaked glass doors to stand in the shady crimson interior of the restaurant. Inuyasha examined an attractive alcove with fresh white lilies in it while Kagome spoke to the hostess standing behind a wooden box.

"Hello," said Kagome politely. "We would like a table for eight, please."

"Do you have a reservation?" said the crisp woman in a well-versed manner.

"No," said Kagome apologetically.

"It will be fifteen minutes before your table is ready," said the woman picking up a pen and scraping it against a notepad. "Your name please?"

"Takahashi," was the reply.

The woman's eyebrow went up immediately. "Takahashi you say? Well, your table will be ready in ten minutes. Please wait in the lobby till then." She picked up a pile of menus and wandered away.

"I wonder what that was all about?" said Kagome thinking of the strange reaction. Shrugging, she sat down on one of the velvet chairs in the lobby and rearranged her pocketbook which was digging into her shoulder in a most irritating manner.

They all sat there patiently or rather impatiently but pretending not to be while a table was prepared for them and a waitress freed. Finally, a young woman eerily looking like a human version of Kagura appeared with a feather tucked in her pinned hair.

"I am Kaname. I will be your waitress for this evening. May I take your order, please?" She said this all in a smooth manner yet with a slightly rebellious tone, making Kagome wonder for a moment if those brown eyes were really crimson.

"Yes, please, I will have a large bowl of curry spiced ramen." Inuyasha made a gagging noise next to her. "My husband here will have the chicken and mushroom bowl." She picked up the menu and handed it to the waitress, allowing the children to pick for themselves.

The waitress had just wandered away when Inuyasha nudged Kagome's knee with his own under the table, drawing her attention to him. "Hey," he said softly.

"What is it now?" she hissed.

"Be quiet," said Inuyasha through their slowly strengthening link. "If you shout like that the children will hear. Sesshomaru is here."

"How do you know?" Kagome thought back at him desperately trying to keep her side of the energy balanced.

"I can smell him," said Inuyasha simply letting the warm glow fade so that her mind was quiet once more. Kagome sighed, grateful for the relief. Talking to Inuyasha through their link only was enjoyable yet equally as stressing since they had not practiced it together very much. While she was progressing in her ability, Kagome still felt as intimidated about it as she had been first learning to shoot an arrow. More than half the time she poured in too much energy or too little while Inuyasha seemed to be having no difficulties whatever in mastering the skill. Still, she had to learn and doggedly Kagome opened the spiritual link that bound them once again.

"Inuyasha," she thought loudly startling him. "If you want to you can go looking for him."

"I might," thought back Inuyasha leaning against his chair with his arms folded. "It just figures that the bastard would interrupt my meal somehow." He made to push away from the table but the returning hostess interrupted his actions.

"Inuyasha Takahashi, I presume?" said the hostess stopping before him.

"Yeah, that's me," said Inuyasha looking at her forcefully. "How do you know my name?" The waitress bowed.

"One of our regular clients has requested that you be shown to his table."

Inuyasha looked back into Kagome's eyes for guidance.

"Go on," she thought to him, a little wobbly in the attempt but he got the message just the same. So he directed his steps onwards and was led to a balcony room upstairs. Before Inuyasha even got the room, he knew clearly whom it was.

Sure enough, as Inuyasha rounded the doorframe the moonlight-colored hair and elegant features of an aristocratic demon came into view. "Sesshomaru," Inuyasha muttered.

Sesshomaru smiled, a half-eaten meal before him. "So good to see you, little brother," came from the proud demon with almost fond affect. Inuyasha nearly fell over and timidly drew out a chair. Rebelliously, he sat on it backwards and folded his arms casually over the backrest.

"So what do you want to see me about?" he said with his eyes narrowing.

"Do not mistake my intentions," said Sesshomaru calmly. "I merely wish for you and family to join me for dinner. I have this room rented out for another hour."

"You wanna explain what you're doing in ramen house?" Inuyasha said with suspicion as he eyed the strange tight-fitting suit his elder brother was wearing.

"I frequent this place quite often," said the older version of Sesshomaru calmly. "I believe that it is your mate Kagome whom I would have to thank. It was she who first introduced me to ramen noodles."

"Ah yes," said Inuyasha narrowing his eyes thoughtfully thinking back to the pilfered ramen cup.

"It was very stale at the time," Sesshomaru mused, "yet equally addictive. I never forgot the flavor and when it became a regular commodity I became quite accustomed to it. Ramen is not too disagreeable for human food."

"I see."

"Well, shall I send the waitress to collect the rest of your family?" said Sesshomaru helpfully. "I am anxious to acquaint myself with your other children. Tell me, has Sumire been born yet?"

"What?" said Inuyasha confused.

"It is simply this, little brother," said Sesshomaru. "Until your passing a few years ago, I have been acquainted with your older self. In our friendship, he allowed me to know of many of the things which have yet to pass for you. By the same token, it will be the Inuyasha that sits before me whom will have the privilege of seeing me die of old age."

Inuyasha quirked up his eyebrows very confused. "So you are saying?"

"That though you are alive for only 500 years, you are present in nearly a thousand. That is the result of your living on two sides of the well."

"I see," said Inuyasha his eyes furrowed.

"It is regrettable I was not informed that you were coming," stated Sesshomaru raising a wineglass to his lips. "My eldest son and his family would have been pleased to meet you. Perhaps another time."

"Right," said Inuyasha. "If that's it I'm goin' back down."

"Perhaps we could reschedule a dinner between us all?"

"Sure, whatever," said Inuyasha brusquely before wandering downstairs. As he left, Sesshomaru neatly extracted a cell phone from his breast pocket and flipped it open.

"Hello, Kiku. If I am correct in my assumptions, now would be an ideal time for Inuyasha to exact his revenge. Arrange the raid on the perfume merchants but keep Yasuo off this mission." An excitable voice sounded on the other end.

Inuyasha returned to the table downstairs. Though Kagome gave him a curious stare, he said little during dinner and instead chewed his food thoughtfully. Kagome was so worried about him that she waved her bowl of ramen before his nose and then sat it down roughly when he didn't respond.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha," she prompted. "Normally you're deathly afraid of curry."

"I just don't feel like it, okay?" he said gruffly. "Ask me another time."

"Inuyasha," said Kagome warningly. Still, he said nothing.

"I'll let it be for now," thought Kagome.

Dinner wrapped itself to a close. The Higurashi's and those whom had dubbed themselves the Takahashi's excited the building to return to the shrine. Since it was late, they decided to catch taxis and waited on the sloppy, rain-drenched street. Night had fallen and the red glare of headlights in traffic winked off the slickened pavement. A slowly moving river of umbrellas moved along the broad paved walks.

"You know what, Kagome," said Inuyasha calmly. "I don't know how your sister-in-law would feel about it, but maybe we could carry everyone home across the rooftops. I'm gettin' tired of waiting."

"Inuyasha, we can't do that," Kagome argued back.

"If we do, I'm riding on Kagome," said Sota overhearing. "I would like to see how strong you've got, Sis."

"Hey," Kagome protested.

Any further argument was precluded however as a solitary individual stepped towards them and peered out from her umbrella. She was young voluptuous teenager with bubblegum pink dyed hair and bright gleaming eyes. The air seemed to weave eerily around her.

"Inuyasha-sama," said the girl speaking quietly after shaking her head to Yasuo. "I am here to offer you vengeance. Perhaps you should send your family ahead."

"Who the hell are you," came the sharp retort across the misty air.

"My name is not of consequence," said the girl. "You need merely to know that I work for Lord Sesshomaru and that he will be joining us in a matter of minutes should you choose to accompany us tonight."

"Inuyasha," murmured Kagome worriedly.

"You go ahead," Inuyasha suddenly shot out towards everyone.

"Inuyasha," murmured Kagome. "I'm staying with you."

"That is acceptable," said the stranger. "However, the rest should go in order to remain uninvolved."

"What! We are not leaving!" shouted Aijo.

"Aijo," said Inuyasha sharply. "Make sure the humans get home safely. I'm counting on you."

There was a pause, as Aijo fought against his uncertainties.

"Come on," said Yasuo tugging on his brother's arm. "It will be all right, I know it will."

"All right," came the reluctant, embarrassed reply. Aijo gave one longing, doubtful glance back at his parents as he slogged across the rain-washed street. The strange girl turned her attention on the two hanyous once more. They regarded one another.

"You may have realized by now that I'm a demon," said the stranger carefully. "If I reveal my features as such during the night do not be alarmed by it." The hanyous remained quiet.

"We will wait here for Sesshomaru-sama. He will finish his meal any minute. After that, we will make a raid on the humans responsible for making Dark Night's Obsession 99."

"What?" said Inuyasha sharply. The sharp patter of rain continued behind him.

"Even if that's true," came Kagome's voice, "that doesn't mean that the people making it deserve to die. No matter how much pain we went through."

"Oh they deserve to die all right," Inuyasha snarled. Still, even he had his doubts and the demoness Kiku saw the question in his eyes.

"It has already been decided," said the demoness smoothly. "Lord Sesshomaru is the head ruler of this land and his word is the ultimate law. Besides this, the party whom is responsible for creating the potion has afflicted not just you but countless other humans and demons. Further, they have committed many other crimes in direct defiance of both human and youkai laws."

"So you're saying you're gonna take them down whether we help or not?"

"Exactly," said the demoness nodding. "By the way, my name is Kiku and I work for Sesshomaru-sama."

"Figures," said Inuyasha.

They waited outside in the drizzling rain. Several minutes later, a gray umbrella emerged on the street and Sesshomaru came towards them. Notably, he had done little to hide his demon features since the silver hair and blue stripes remained. Still, the sharp claws and pointy ears were gone, vanished by some illusion. The great dog demon halted beside Inuyasha and looked at him.

"I see you have met my bodyguard," said Sesshomaru plainly. "Or rather one of many."

"Why the hell would you need a bodyguard," Inuyasha scoffed. "Lost your touch?"

"Indeed," Sesshomaru replied with amusement. "While I could fight the majority of my assailants myself it is very tiresome to do so. There is the matter also that I am a full demon and not immune to the attacks of our enemy. For this reason, I advise that you too be wary, Inuyasha. Once the priestesses know that you are in the world again they will undoubtedly renew their attacks upon you."

"What are you talking about?" blurted out Inuyasha, "try making sense would ya!"

Sesshomaru observed his brother, a wry smirk just touching the edges of his lips.

"Quite simply, our enemy is a group of radical human priests and mikos whom destroy demons without discretion. I have been pursuing them for years but the effort has proved to be difficult. Tonight, however, we will have opportunity to strike."

"How can you be so sure about that?" said Inuyasha.

"It was you whom informed me upon your death that we destroyed the perfume merchants on an exceptionally rainy day after we reacquainted ourselves in a ramen shop. I would think that the description fits today admirably."

Inuyasha fell silent. So far, the evening had been nothing short of confusing and the situation seemed bent on pressuring him into participating on the raid.

"All right, if you give me your word we won't hurt any innocent humans," said Inuyasha calmly.

"You do not have to do anything," stated Sesshomaru, "merely observe if you wish."

"All right," said Inuyasha sealing it.

The rain continued onwards and they began to slog through it. Sesshomaru led them silently until they came to a corner with a black limo on it. He reached down and pried the door open before sliding in the back.

"Make yourselves comfortable," he demanded as Kagome and Inuyasha likewise slipped into the vehicle.

Inuyasha looked around nervously. The car differed from any one he had seen before in that there were two rows of seats facing on another. The smell of treated leather wafted to his nose. A few racks containing drinks meet his eyes, as well as various buttons and electronic devices he was fairly unaccustomed to. Personally, he tried to remain disinterested with anything regarding Kagome's era. He grimaced, nearly clawing at the darkened windows to free himself from the enclosed space they made in this annoying little "car" as Kagome called it. While it was true that the roof was more distant from his ears than it would have been in one of those "taxis", he was still struck with a touch of claustrophobia. He quickly decided he would much rather be running free than relying on some strange, unliving horse containing a portable room.

Since Sesshomaru was seated right across from him, Inuyasha devoted his time to staring at his brother, arms folded for defiant show. Sesshomaru stared back at him but the harsh hatred in his glare which Inuyasha was accustomed to was strangely lacking. They remained speechless and fairly motionless until the car stopped with a rapid halt before a small apartment complex.

"What a minute," said Kagome pressing herself against the glass window and trying to see through the dark glass and depth of night, a task which would have been impossible to do had she not been hanyou. "This is Ayume-chan's house."

"Indeed," said Sesshomaru nodding. "I thought it best to bring some protection for you since you are accompanying Inuyasha and myself. Your friend Eri will be joining us as well."

Kagome fell silent as two of her best friends appeared abruptly just outside the limousine door. The door opened with a click and the two girls slid themselves inside, an unusually somber expression on their features.

"You mean," began Kagome.

"We are demons too," said Ayume smiling, looking like naught but a young woman. "We were assigned to watch over you and your family years ago. I'm sorry, Yuki's sick so she won't be coming with us."

Kagome had turned noticeably pale so Inuyasha wrapped his arm around her and gave her a hug. Regaining her courage, Kagome reached out a hand and placed it in Inuyasha's palm.

"All these years and I never realized," she muttered. "No wonder you never asked me about anything. But why did you push Hojo on me then?"

"Because it was good for you. Besides, it was funny," said Eri mirthfully. "I really am sorry Kagome-chan."

"I suppose so," murmured Kagome, still unable to comprehend that her childhood friends had really been demons.

"So what is going on?" Kagome prompted after a while.

"We will be going to a manufacturing plant of sorts hidden in a downtown warehouse. The humans responsible for making the perfume will be there at a meeting. Sesshomaru will lead an attack on them."

"I see," said Kagome dismally.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan," said Eri. "Kouga and Sesshomaru will both be there. Besides, we have mikos working on our own side so you won't have to do anything you don't want to, all right?"

"Yeah, that's right," said Ayume comfortably, "but it may be tough if their leading priestess is there so it might help if Inuyasha could fight a little. He has a keen sense of smell and good battle sense after all."

"That's enough," spoke Sesshomaru interrupting. "We will be arriving shortly and I need time to inform Inuyasha of the situation. Inuyasha, there is one thing I need you to remember well tonight."

"What's that?" said Inuyasha tensely.

"Recommencing now you may consider yourself a ruler equal in stature to myself. As such, you must always remember this, Inuyasha, that sometimes one must act not as one wishes to but for the needs of those they govern. This is a rule you will learn later in life as your carefree days in the countryside end."

"You sayin' I gotta be executioner or something?"

"If needs be, yes. That is the legacy our father has left us after all."

Silence reclaimed the interior of the cab. "He's right you know," Ayume whispered after darting a glance to Sesshomaru. "I first began serving Lord Sesshomaru after the Kitsune Wars but I was saved by Inuyasha first. I owe you my life you know."

"Keh. Whatever," said Inuyasha turning back to the blackened glass and peering out into the night.

So, does this hold your interest or is it too dark? Reviews are helpful.


	70. Chapter 70

Yeah, kinda dark. Love stories later.

The limousine rolled amongst the back alleys for many minutes. Then, through the haze of the drizzling rain a huge building with a chain link fence became visible. The motor killed and only the sound of the drizzling rain could be heard. Like a shadow, Sesshomaru slipped out of the car and the others followed. Six figures came to stand before the chain link fence yet none poised to enter. Instead, they all stood looking upon the many spell scrolls that lined the modern fence, watching the moonlight and rainwater intermingle along the reflective wire.

"Is Riku here?" was softly spoken by Sesshomaru, almost too soft for youkai ears. A nod answered.

"With the other mikos," came the soft-spoken reply.

The group waited, beading together in groups. Sesshomaru stood off to himself, unbothered by the elements and unneedful of companionship. They waited as they heard the wind whisper itself out with the beating of the raindrops. A set of footsteps approached across the gravel yard. The lightening flashed and for moment Inuyasha swore he saw Kikyo standing before him, the rain rolling off her hair. But a then he realized the woman they were gazing upon lacked that ethereal beauty. Certainly, she bore the red and white robes of a traditional priestess, yet freckles formed arches along her cheeks. Her nose was snub, her eyes caring in a mellow way. A fake rose was tied just behind her ear.

"Hinata, are you prepared?"

"Almost, Lord Sesshomaru.

The priestess reached round her back and removed a dufflebag. She lay it on the ground a rummaged around in it. She removed a fearsome looking crossbow and black outer kimono. A tiny person peeked around from behind her as she did so and leapt onto the woman's back to cling around the neck.

"Hello!" said Riku in a sprightly manner. "Are we going in now?"

"Yes, Riku," said the mellow priestess, her pronounced maturity contrasting with Riku's little squeak. Now clothed in black, she clicked back her crossbow in menacing manner, the good-natured look vanishing to be replaced with something much more severe and expectant, almost battle hardened. She fastened a headband around her temple.

"Oh boy!" said Riku swinging and dropping to her toes.

"Do be kind and shut up," Hinata replied almost dully. She turned to the fence and removed a scroll. Gazing upwards into the down pouring rain, she waited until her bangs and hair were thoroughly soaked and clinging to her skull. Deftly, she sprang the fence and Riku bouncily followed.

"Coming, Inuyasha?" queried Sesshomaru before leaping over the fence himself.

Inuyasha watched before crossing, followed by Kagome and the others. They began to walk across a stone gravel lot, weedy with grasses and the occasional abandoned car. Hinata led the way, stalking morosely across the coarse stone until falling back to whisper words to Sesshomaru as they found their way to an electrical fence. Hinata halted before the obstruction, gazing up at shredded barbs adorning its crest fifteen feet up.

Kagome gawked at the jagged edges, certain to slash a person to pieces, provided they lived past the shock. She could see how a demon, possibly, could clamor up the walls yet she could not envision Hinata doing so. Fortunately, a conversation broke out before her distracting her from her concern.

"We've already broken through the ceremonial barriers," Riku squeaked out quietly as the rain dropped down the loose strands of her hair. She leaned over Hinata's shoulder to get closer to Sesshomaru. "Kai and Nina have been working really hard on it."

"Riku, how many times do I to remind you, it's better not to speak revealing information on a mission?" Sesshomaru reprimanded. The miko before him lowered her head ashamedly and began to look at him with teardrop eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru," she squeaked out looking miserable. Sesshomaru ignored her.

"Hinata, is the barrier ready to be removed."

"Yes," Lord Sesshomaru," came the reply. "Our agents disabled the periphery barriers two days ago. A substituting spell in affect. So far, the occupants seem unsuspecting."

The taiyoukai nodded.

"The fence?" he prompted.

"Down with the flick of a button," said Hinata removing a small box from her pocket that turned out to be a remote. Kagome had an inkling that things were about to get explosive.

"The blast should be unsubstantial," said Hinata, "just enough to disable the feed."

Silence fell over the group as they appeared to be waiting for.. something. The rain abated to reveal the solemn moon, eerie in its fullness. Its soft glow touched the corrugated tin roof of the old factory, the sharp reflections it caused interwoven with the complexity of shadows and the half-speculations of light. Kagome shivered in anticipation and let her tail sweep out behind her, swaying once gently. Kiku, the live-eyed voluptuous teenager, leaned over while seemingly speaking to her collar, affectively displaying the plushness of her upper thighs as her painfully high-cut shorts rode up on her leg.

"Yeah, we're in position too," Kiku muttered in the phone, just within the periphery of demon hearing. "Move in five minutes." The teenager stood up and turned to face the others, resolution lining her face. "We're goin' in," she stated. "Inuyasha, Kagome, stay by me."

The group remained with their gaze locked upon the towering fence. A great shiver seemed to pass through the atmosphere within and above it, a green glow momentarily pulsed before dropping in entirety. Kiku nodded and Sesshomaru floated over the fence. The barking of dogs resounded, then stilled.

Hinata nodded, and flicked open the case containing a button. She pressed it, and there was hardly any sound excepting perhaps a rain of pebbles far off in the distance. She pocketed the remote. Without the danger of electrocution, Kiku was able to wrench a portion of the fence away, discarding it along with its deathwire. Inuyasha, Kagome, the pink-haired demoness, Kagome's old school friends, and their two priestess companions were able to enter on foot.

Even to monoke, the grounds seemed almost spectral. The concrete and stood before them, yet what caught Kagome's eye was a special wash of white gravel had been lain out in an intricate design. In its center, a traditional wooden hut stood marked off by barrier ropes and sacred paper.

"Inuyasha," said Kagome looking at the hut sensing something amiss. "It almost seems like there is something sealed inside."

"Yeah," said Inuyasha. Kiku came up to stand beside them, shoulder to shoulder.

"Well, we'll just have to split our groups early then," she smiled. "Sesshomaru, Hinata, and Riku were planning to go anyway. I'm sticking with you."

Inuyasha watched as his brother and the two mikos pressed ahead, dissolving into the darkness. "Yeah," he intoned while Kagome cautiously approached the sealed portion.

"It's strange," Inuyasha thought out loud. "It's faint but it's almost like I smell youaki around here. The blood of youkais."

"It is possible," said Kiku shrugging as she stood back to observe Kagome's work. "They do keep prisoners every now and then in order to interrogate them." Her eyes grew very hard and hateful. "They afflict the innocent, even humans, in order to ferret out the youkai whom are living amongst mankind."

Inuyasha's eyes glinted, and as the last rope dropped he pressed himself past Kagome. He clamored up the wooden platform leading to the hut's entrance and shoved himself inside. It was much like a shrine for a god or goddess but this enclosure was made for a much different design. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a strewn figure and the scent of injury washed over him. In few steps, he could kneel before a youkai woman whose body scented with the nearness of death.

"Hey," said softly as he tenderly lay a hand upon her ashen cheek. The chill startled his fingers yet he kept their warmth on her. Wearily, the woman opened her eyes and their gray orbs rested unseeingly.

"Please," she croaked out with not breath to her utterance. "My children. Priestess Sakuragi. The Agate shrine." Inuyasha gazed down upon her, something stirring within its depths.

"All right, I will get your children back." Disgusted with his impulsive vow, he dropped his hand hid it within the sleeves of his hakama. Kiku meanwhile, had also kneeled by the woman's side and she now lay a comforting hand on her forehead.

"Hush, it's okay," she murmured before the woman drew her last breath. Kagome looked on, looking teary-eyed.

"Inuyasha, we have to do something!" his hanyou wife shouted out.

"Yeah," he nodded.

Kiku stood up, grinning toothily. "Well, I got the keys," she said with both arms jutted out to the sides. "I suppose I could give ya a ride."

"Do you think Sesshomaru and the others will be alright?" Kagome queried.

"Sure they will," said Kiku. "Besides, we have the most important part. Miss Maki aka Priestess Sakuragi is the leader after all. We can't pass up this opportunity for taking her out."

Within the hour the threesome had found their way to the Agate Shrine. It was a scene of undisturbance. Nothing impressive or unusual met the eye. A set of arches marked the shrine ground, while a park-like courtyard splayed beyond. There was a stage for kabuki dancers on festival days and a humble a prayer box. However, something did distinguish the shrine well. It was the strength of the protective shielding. Kiku and Inuyasha both found themselves repulsed by the shrine gate.

"I'll take care of it," Kagome promised, rage wrapping itself within her glare. Taking up a bow and arrow given to her by the tiny priestess earlier that night, she drew back the arrow shaft and let it fly. Her enormous miko energy struck the pink shield, aura battling aura for a mere moment before sending the shield into shatters, leaving the fragments to drift away in the form of glitters. Kagome reshouldered her bow and marched forward. There, in the courtyard, stood the woman whom could be none other than the Priestess Sakuragi.

"So you live again, half-breed," said the woman in traditional priestess garb. She stared condescendingly upon the demons that had appeared there before her. "Tell, me, what leads you to sully this sacred place? I will not forgive you for its defilement."

"Cut the crap," barked Inuyasha. "Tell us where the kids are, or I may just have to kill you." A wicked grin leered on the woman's features.

"Those abominations? Don't concern yourself. You won't live to save them." The woman slid her hands backward to take out an arrow. She aimed it directly towards Inuyasha, whom remained unfazed even as she released it. With an angry twang, the arrow ricocheted off a pink molten barrier, which had erupted around the two hanyous and their demon companion.

"What!" screamed Priestess Sakuragi in outrage. "You're just a filthy half-breed! How is it you have powers of a priestess!"

"I don't know," said Kagome roughly. "Maybe the gods favor me because I have a heart." The woman fairly hissed as she took a step back.

"If you're done talking, I'm gonna finish this," said Inuyasha lowering his sword from his shoulder. He ran forward and began to swing. "Tetsusiaga!" he called.

Priestess Sakuragi raised a barrier defensively. Inuyasha's sword hit the side, temporarily held-off. Yet in a moment, the fragile barrier began to splinter and break. With a startled gasp, the woman found Inuyasha's sword stayed before her. Trembling, she collapsed on her knees, convulsing in tears. Inuyasha stared down at the piteous sight.

"But they are evil!" the priestess cried, laughing psychotically. "Demons are evil! All you demons must die!" Inuyasha stared down at the manically laughing ball huddled on the ground.

"Yeah, well demons are evil," Inuyasha said bluntly. "But do ya think you're any better, killing anyone you like? I'll bet that woman never lifted one claw in her life." The huddled mass continued to crack.

"You did it! You evil demons killed my brother! For that you shall all die!"

Inuyasha sighed. "If it's vengeance you're after, don't you think you're better off going after the one youkai that did it? Not all of us are the same you know."

"That's enough Inuyasha," said Kiku in a strangely authoritative tone. "You're wasting your time with her. This woman has been marked for death for her crimes."

"Yo. She's obviously out of her mind," said the hanyou.

"I know," said Kiku quietly closing her eyes and assuming an almost repentant stance. "Kagome, would you call headquarters for me? You still have your cellphone, right?"

"Yeah," said Kagome flipping it open curiously.

"Then dial the number I tell you," ended Kiku running up to knock the violent miko unconscious. Luminescence found itself in a puddle it soaked up the waters of the previous rain. The wind swaled through the night.

Kiku waited beside her prisoner while Inuyasha and Kagome entered the shrine itself. There, in the basement they found an abundance of kennels. Three small lynx children growled within from the wire enclosures.

"Hold on," said Inuyasha gruffly shattering each lock with his fist. He stopped, then smashed apart the lock on a fourth cage. Kagome came up to view what kept him so arrested, immobile on his feet. She raised a hand up to her face at the sight.

With an inner strength only Inuyasha could master, the hanyou reached into the fourth cage and withdrew a tiny body, fur soaked with blood. As he cradled the child in his arms he felt a tug on his pant leg.

"Don't leave my brother," came the shrill call as a little lynx demon looked up at him with pleading eyes. Yet eyes with the heartlessness of a demon. Inuyasha was glad the kid was a full youkai.

"We won't," Inuyasha stated carrying the child out of the shrine building into the moonlight. He had promised after all, to get that woman's children back, and he intended to bring them all home to her, even if it meant only to share the same grave. He was determined to give her that treatment.

Kiku only looked up, and nodded her head in acknowledgement. One of the lynx children however, persistently tugged on his pant leg so that he looked back down on him. The child's words altered him.

"Thank you, Great Taiyoukai," the little one said wiping the tears from his eyes and placing his small hand in his.

Anxiously, Aijo and Yasuo stayed up at Higurashi Shrine. They paced about the bedroom that had once belonged to their mother, glancing out the window every now and then. When it was almost morning, their mother and father entered the courtyard slicked with rain. The two boys ran down the stairs into the hallway as the front door slid open. Kagome entered and sat down in the kitchen under the fluorescent glow of the counter light. Inuyasha, meanwhile, headed upstairs towards the bathroom and Aijo caught the smell of blood as he passed. Steering himself into the bathroom, Inuyasha turned on the taps and washed the blood from under his nails, solemn in his thoughts.

"It is a good thing the kids did not come. This was a task better suited for demons." He let his gratitude drain away with his contemplation.

"A ruler huh?" he said scowling at his reflection in the mirror. "Well not for a while." A heavy sigh of mixed mourning and relief come out his own throat." He threw the hand towel he had been using into a hamper before wandering back towards Kagome's old room. On a happier note, he remembered his anniversary with Kagome was coming up soon.

"Sumire," he said meditatively, losing himself to introspection. "The wood violet. Only time will tell I guess."

Okay, may be a two weeks before my next post but maybe not. Things to look forward to : anniversary, Sesshy and Rin, Aijo gets a girl.


	71. Chapter 71

Okay, update! Thanks for being patient. Are you reading this? Is anyone reading this? Then review! Thanks to those who have.

Breakfast the next day was a very subdued one. Everyone sat about staring at pieces of toast or conveniently dropping their chopsticks just so that the there would be some sound and motion to the room. Yasuo sat chewing his the inside of his cheek, thoughtful of what had transpired the previous night. Though he had already been on several missions for his Uncle Sesshomaru, Kiku had specifically forbade him via secret communication devices not to follow or to participate in that night's activities. He desperately wondered why, with pique of pride.

Aijo was similarly goaded. He was accustomed to being at his father's side in times of battle. It bothered him that he had not been wanted now. He understood why his father, their packleader, would need him to lead the humans home to safety that night. Yet it could not help but hurt him to be left out, especially since his mother and father were not being open on the matter.

Grandma Higurashi, her son Sota, and his family had remained away from the Takahashi's for the most part. The events of last night had spooked Hitome and Daisuke, whom were unaccustomed to the supernatural, and as a group they sensed that some family conflict was brewing. Fortunately, the feeling of misunderstanding amongst the Takahashi's was circumvent.

Late in the morning, a silver Porsche pulled up in front of Higurashi Shrine. A familiar figure stepped out of the vehicle and gazed up the shrine steps toward the main buildings, hidden from the street below. A pair of round, metallic glasses perched on his nose hiding his eye color. Yet, a revealing pair of vertical stripes lined his cheeks. Just as convicting, the long hair he had gathered up into a waist length ponytail was pure white, as purest snowflake as the Armani suit he now wore. Sesshomaru raised a leather-clad foot onto the first shrine step. Taking a glance around to make sure no human was watching, he vanished. Moving so fast as to evade human eye, he flew up the steps and landed outside the doorway. Pushing back his hair to make sure it was not one strand out of place, he straightened his jacket and rapped on the door with the back of his hand. Immediately, the door flew back and he found himself staring into the angry eyes of his younger brother. As usual, the hanyou was wearing his rumply and unfashionable red firerat robe, and his hair was incredibly mussed. Sesshomaru smiled.

"Little Brother," the elder murmured holding out a hand. "So glad to see you this morning."

"Save me the pleasantries, Sesshomaru," was the brisk reply. Sesshomaru smirked inwardly, knowing that he was beginning a tradition that would last many hundreds of years hence.

"Irritable as usual, Little Brother," cut Sesshomaru as he pushed past Inuyasha into the open doorway. The hanyou's eyes quirked upwards in a pained expression as the taiyouaki settled himself down at the breakfast table and helped himself to a bit of egg on toast. Aijo glared at the taiyoukai too, remembering their past dealings with him in the Feudal Era. He could hardly believe this was the same person whom had tormented his father and threatened his own life. Yasuo, however, seemed unnaturally relaxed about their unexpected meal guest.

"What do ya what, Sesshomaru?" said their father bluntly. "Don't give me crap about wanting a family visit." He leaned down and placed both hands on the table, the better to glare at Sesshomaru. The taikyoukai met his eyes without any hesitation or indication of subterfuge.

"Actually, Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru polishing off his piece of toast, "that is precisely why I come to you. I wish to collect the dinner appointment you promised me, at the ramen house or any place of your choosing. As I have said, my eldest son and his family are eager to meet you. There is also family business I wish to discuss."

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. He grumbled. "Fine then," he complained pinning back his ears. "We'll come to the ramen shop if you want."

"Very well, then," said Sesshomaru flipping his cellphone open. "Yumi, please reschedule my four o'clocks and six o'clocks. Yes, he agreed to the ramen house. I'll see you at the office tomorrow." He repocketed the phone.

"I have reserved the upstairs dining from five o'clock onwards this evening," said Sesshomaru bluntly. "This leaves us with a question of what entertainment to amuse ourselves with until then."

"The skatepark!" yelled Yasuo until his brother glared at him.

"The aquarium?" mused Kagome whom up until this point had merely observed.

"Helicopter rides!" shouted Yasuo again.

"How would you know about it?" Aijo asked crossly. Yasuo rolled his eyes.

"Waffles and donuts," said Kagome dreamily. "I mean, the amusement park!"

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed. "Doesn't matter to me."

"Very well then," said Sesshomaru flipping open his cellphone. "How about we tour the waterfront? I am certain there will be something to amuse you all."

"Bah," Inuyasha said.

Sesshomaru pushed a small button on his cellphone, not just once but twice. He slipped the phone back into his breastpocket and stood up carefully. He leveled a gaze at his hanyou brother. "You had better be prepared to leave in five minutes," he said plainly before wandering outside, shutting the door behind him.

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at eachother. Inuyasha shrugged and continued shoveling his scrambled eggs into his mouth. Kagome got up and snatched her purse from the sidetable, rummaging around for a hairbrush. Yasuo followed his uncle out the door while Aijo wandered upstairs to change out his matching flannel pajamas.

Draining the last of the orange juice from his cup, Inuyasha got up and followed his brother and younger son outside. For some odd reason, he got the sensation that Yasuo admired his brother. Perhaps it was the way he was stood outside with the great taiyouaki, looking up at him as if he was glowing silver, which apparently he was as not just one, but two helicopters stood outside the doorway.

"You're late," said Sesshomaru frowning, "although I expected as much from you."

Inuyasha bristled, yet held his peace at this strange Sesshomaru. Kagome and Aijo tumbled out the door shortly after.

"Oh kami!" gulped Kagome eyes shimmering. "I wonder if I could borrow his credit card?" Denying her impulse to blurt that question out loud, Kagome settled for the next best thing. "Where did you get all this money from, Sesshomaru?" she queried.

"Simple, Mrs. Takahashi," Sesshomaru answered regally. "Over the many centuries of youkai infiltrating the human world, I came to be involved in many business ventures. I myself am sole owner of Takahashi Enterprises. Inuyasha has come to have substantial holdings as well, perhaps in excess to my own." Inuyasha was confused and awed, but not willing to admit it. Kagome looked as if she had died and gone to heaven.

"Yes!" she shouted inwardly. "It doesn't matter that I never finished school now! I'm going to be rich! Wahahahaha!"

"Well that's good," she said politely. "I've been meaning to buy some new shoes." Sesshomaru read beneath her feigned innocence and smirked. Shoes indeed. He knew the girl was thinking about whole wardrobes, not that she would ever abandon her silver youkai gown for the rest of her life, he knew.

"We are leaving," Sesshomaru said simply stepping into one of the helicopters. "Inuyasha, you come with me, your mate as well. Your sons may ride in the other machine."

"Why two?" said Kagome wondering.

"Comfort," Sesshomaru stated plainly. "Are you foolish enough to believe these things will fit more than four leather chairs? They are, merely, modest models intended to ferry me between business meetings."

"Oh."

Ducking under the intimidating wingblades, Kagome rushed quickly to the helicopter door. The pilot, looking distinctively like a black panther youkai, bowed and opened the door. They stepped inside and found four tan suede chairs. Kagome sunk into one of them and stroked it with the back of her finger. "So soft," she murmured.

"Gee, I'm beginning to think you're more in love with the chair than with me," Inuyasha scoffed. Kagome focused an intense glare at him.

"How dare you say that Inuyasha! You had better remember I gave up everything to be with you! We fell in love, dog-boy, when you had nothing more than a robe, a loincloth, and a tree. That hardly counts as material comfort!"

"Yeah, well, whatever," Inuyasha glowered looking out the doubleglass window. Kagome looked at him coyly.

"Don't be so jealous Inuyasha," she said calmly. "You know I think your soft skin feels best."

"I am not jealous!" Inuyasha blushed furiously keeping his attention out the window.

"If necessary, I could ride in the other helicopter," Sesshomaru stated with a sly smirk.

"Smart-aleck," Inuyasha muttered under his breath gazing at microscopic dust on the window.

The aircraft's wings stirred into motion with a loud whir steadying out into a dampered buzz, peppered admittably with a metered chopping. After fifteen minutes, the motors killed and the wide door was rolled back yet again. Kagome unstrapped herself from her seatbuckle and gazed out into the harbor. They had, apparently landed atop a broad platform along the docks themselves, serving as a viewing tower. Large and small pleasure boats moved in and out on the waters below. Enormous commercial ships steamed in the distance. Kagome eyed the wharf nearest to them along with its pleasure craft. Using her hanyou vision, she scanned the names and focused her eyes upon that of the largest yacht amongst them. Along the side, painted in golden letters, was "The Doglord".

"Is that your ship, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked.

"It is, assuredly," Sesshomaru nodded. "We may take a tour, if you wish. However, we do not have sufficient time to go boating this afternoon. This pleasure we will have to reserve for another day."

Kagome re-examined her surroundings and unexpectedly came to the realization that Sesshomaru was studying her closely. As she cast her gaze upon him, Sesshomaru halted his own examinations. Instead, he spoke with a tone of direction.

"If you go inland, you will encounter Pika Square. One may shop or dine on any of the surrounding streets where there is an assortment of individually owned shops catering to tourists. An abundance of cafés, clubs, videogame plazas, karaoke lounges and other diversions may be found further inland. There are programmed entertainments as well whether it be concert halls or sidewalk artists. Within a quarter of a mile along the coast, there is a small open-air market with an emphasis on fish. Of course, there are the beaches and waters themselves. For you, however, I would recommend the shopping mall district accessible by cab. Notwithstanding, today I was hopeful that Inuyasha and yourself would be interested in touring the botanical garden."

Kagome nodded and Inuyasha, whom hadn't gone anywhere, spoke. "Sure," he said plainly, as if hopeful the day would not be all bad. Kagome reached up and plucked him by the ear.

"Stop being so sour," she scolded before giving him a shake and dropping him.

"Stop that Kagome!" Inuyasha raved. He whirled on her. "You're not the only alpha here!" he said trying to give her the staredown. Kagome stared back at him.

"Sit!"

"Argh! Will you stop that!"

Sesshomaru smiled. With amused eyes, he watched the scene unravel before him. After prying himself off the ground, Inuyasha grabbed hold of Kagome and pressed her close against his chest. He nipped her bite mark and he exhaled onto her pale flesh, trailing the tip of his tongue along it.

"Whose mate are you?" he breathed.

"Yours," said Kagome trembling from the sensations. Instinctively, she tipped her neck upwards in a submissive position, allowing him to run kisses under her jawline.

"That's better," Inuyasha growled dragging his teeth along the mark once more for good measure. It would not do well for Kagome to forget that he too was entitled to some level of authority.

Kagome flushed as she remembered Sesshomaru's presence. It was bad enough to be reprimanded but to have been done so in front of her mate's brother was humiliating. She spun around with her hand still clutched in Inuyasha's and barely managed to meet the elder taiyoukai's eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said almost tremoring from the shame.

"It's quite all right," said Sesshomaru with a serene smile. "It is important that you work out your domestic problems. There is no need to be concerned. I am family, after all."

"You really have changed," Inuyasha regarded in a new light.

"Yes, I have," answered Sesshomaru. "Hundreds of years of life will do that to a man. So will life, love, and passings. I have been through much beyond the Feudal Era."

Kagome nodded and the conversation might have delved into the past had the second helicopter not shown up. Aijo and Yasuo tumbled from the helicopter as soon as it landed, arguing again.

"Sorry, Mama," said Aijo curtly glaring at his brother. "We would have been here sooner if Yasuo had let me sit up front with the pilot."

"Hey, you had your turn!" Yasuo hissed back at him, squaring off.

"Yasuo, Aijo, cut it out will ya!" Inuyasha ordered. The two sons stopped their quibbling and fell into furious standoff instead, still stressful yet easier on the ears.

Sesshomaru led them off the grassy knoll the overlook was built on and down a tree-lined boulevard. Planter boxes crammed with geraniums; also parallel-parked cars met the eye. At the end of the popular-lined street, a busy pedestrian square swarmed with human bodies. It seemed odd to Inuyasha and Kagome both to see Sesshomaru's lean body sway through the parting crowd as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Both could just see traced beneath the eyelids the look of utmost contempt he had once held as he said the one word, "human." If this had been the Sesshomaru of the past, they were fairly certain the only humans he would have surrounded himself with were corpses. Yet now he was melding in with the human stream around him as if they were as undisturbing as a gentle breeze, with no outward sign of insult or revulsion. Time certainly did change things.

Abutting the human-laden square, a long stretch of tall iron fencework guarded the boundaries of the garden they sought. Guiding them to the entryway, Sesshomaru led them past the quays of colorfully dressed families waiting to get in. He passed by the balloon vender busily tying up balloons to give to the antsy children who waited by the gate, also one of the assistant nurses whom was distributing free health-promoting coloring books. Walking past the right-most ticket booth, he flashed a card at the guard standing by the turnstyle. The guard nodded and continued checking the tickets of those behind them, leaving their party to their own devices.

As they emerged into the garden, Inuyasha found himself looking out at the head of a widening green space. Scenting the wind slightly, he could tell that there were hundreds of flowers in bloom here, containing dozens of scents he had never smelled before. Turning a little, he could see a small shop to his right with a tall ramp leading onto a covered balcony. Directly before him, a broad path led forward, walled in by massive displays of color on either side. Inuyasha chose to follow along this route.

"Keh," Inuyasha complained half-heartedly. He found himself standing before a large map stenciled in bronze. Kagome halted beside him, her arm folded within his.

"Look Inuyasha," said Kagome excitedly. "This place is huge! Look, let's go to Pagoda Mountain!" she exclaimed tracing her eyes along the map.

"I would recommend the coy pond," Sesshomaru said quietly. "I had it installed especially for my delicate nose. The willows are largely unscented."

"This place is yours, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked.

"It is one of my private projects," Sesshomaru stated quietly, "although there are many founders stated on the plaques."

Inuyasha agreed to Sesshomaru's suggestion, surprising Kagome. Depositing a coin into one of the feeders, Kagome retrieved a handful of fish food while the two brothers stood on the boardwalk. She gave several coins to each of her sons and stilled herself on the bank of the pond. Dropping a piece of the brown, greasy kibble into the water, she watched as hundreds of multicolored fish fought against the water's surface, churning about in a solid mass as they sought to reach the food. Flashes of red, black, white, and orange shimmered beneath her as well as dozens of hungry eyes. Launching the entire fistful of food, Kagome watched as the bunch scrapped for the kibble, turning the once placid waters into a series of waves. She stepped back from the bank resisting the sudden urge to hunt the unwary, bountiful, and overly plump fish. Sesshomaru must have seen the wild glint to his eyes since he smiled.

"You may, if you so desire, withdraw a few fish later this evening. The pond is overpopulated as usual."

"Urm, no thank you," Kagome answered.

For his part, Inuyasha strolled around the boardwalk under the willows and umbrella pines. He made a loop and rejoined the others of his family, perhaps more peaceful than at any other point in the day.

"So," he dropped to Sesshomaru. "What made you wanna build a park for humans?"

"For demons too," intoned Sesshomaru. "Humans and especially demons need greenery to soothe their spirits. That, my dear brother, is something which I dislike about this current era. There is a distinctive lack of wilderness to run in. It is no longer a question of territory but rather that of property rights."

"I see."

Inuyasha watched his two sons wander while Kagome engaged in an animated conversation with a proud mother pushing a baby girl in its stroller. It seemed the two were exchanging tips. Inuyasha quirked his head and examined his mate's not yet quite showing figure. He then redirected his expression to Sesshomaru.

"Have you told them yet?"

"Hum? Who?"

"Your two sons. Since they are part youkai, maybe they could tell with their own noses. Yet, perhaps not."

"I don't want to tell them," stated Inuyasha. "They'll figure it out anyway. It's always so awkward and they'll look at me as if I did something wrong. Besides, I don't want to have to answer those sorts of questions…"

"You will have to become accustomed to dealing with such matters," said Sesshomaru. "It is part of being a parent. Delicate issues must be dealt with courage."

"Who are you to talk!" Sesshomaru smiled.

"I have two sons myself, Inuyasha, and many grandchildren."

"Well, look who's the old geezer!" Inuyasha sniffed. Sesshomaru returned a smug, knowing look.

The group passed the afternoon touring the gardens and towards five, Sesshomaru brought them back to the helicopter pad. He issued orders to the pilots and they barely touched down on a rooftop in town, allowing them to jump off. "This way," Sesshomaru directed, leading them over towards a closed door. He wrenched the heavy door open with ease and propped it open with a loud clank. Inuyasha, Kagome, Aijo, and Yasuo followed him downstairs onto a plush carpet landing. Turning left down the hallway with practiced ease, Sesshomaru led them into an elegant dining room that Inuyasha recognized. It seemed they were at the gourmet ramen house again.

Sliding out a chair at the head of the table, Sesshomaru seated himself. He waited for his relatives to do the same. The number of the tables in the room had tripled and many of them yet remained vacant. Kagome read the time from her watch and discovered it was 5:15.

Kagome was just wondering where the other promised dinner guests could be when the door to the room cracked open. The older version of Shippo wandered in, along with a waitress whom bowed politely then left. Shippo was talking on a cellphone and he handed it to Sesshomaru before he slid himself into a chair beside his adoptive father, bearing a wide grin. It was curious seeing Shippo decked out in a business vest and slacks, a coat slung across the back of his chair. The kitsune's eyes had taken on a sparkling, saucy sheen and it was eerie to see him without a tail. Aijo and Yasuo nearly fell out of their seats craning their necks to look at him.

"Big brother, is that you!" exclaimed Aijo lightening struck.

"Yeah, it's me," replied Shippo, an almost sad cast to his words. "It's been a long time, little brother."

"What happened?" Yasuo prompted. Shippo shrugged.

"I grew up. Took me a long time, too. It's been five hundred years, you know, from where you came from."

"Wow, Shippo," said Aijo. Shippo grinned and turned to Inuyasha.

"Like my concealment charm?" he said toothily. "Makes me grow a few inches. I am co-founder of Kitsune Medallion Corp after all." He did not receive reply.

"Anyway, I was wondering why you guys never took me up on my invites. I know you've had to have been busy though, and taking time out here means taking time out from the past. I think my younger self needs to have you around more than myself." He chewed on a piece of the ceaser-drenched salad that had appeared before him.

"Nephew," Sesshomaru called to Shippo ceasing his crunching. Shippo held out a paw and accepted his phone back.

"It seems," Sesshomaru announced, "that my son and his family with not be joining us for dinner tonight. I apologize on his behalf."

"Fine by me," Inuyasha shrugged. Kagome nearly kicked him yet settled for hissing at him through their link.

"Be nicer," she warned him.

"Don't nag me," he hissed back, "or I'm cutting this link off!"

"Imagine me sticking my tongue out at you!" Kagome hissed back.

"Grow up!" thought Inuyasha.

"Not if you don't," said Kagome.

"Never!" thought Inuyasha right back at her. He allowed himself a grin.

The other occupants of the table wrenched themselves free from the sight of Inuyasha and Kagome glaring at each other across the dinner table. Devouring the crutons and salad and fighting over the last of the sautéed mushrooms, they did not have long to wait before steaming hot bowls of ramen arrived. All argument dropped then. It seemed Sesshomaru had taken the liberty of ordering the same exact thing they had eaten last time. Inuyasha grimaced anew at the sight of Kagome's curry ramen.

"I am not kissing you after eating that," he thought at her.

"Well maybe I don't want you to," she spiced. "Maybe I'll run off with a wolf demon when I get back. Or I wonder what Hojo is doing these days."

"Ha, you're mine and you know it," Inuyasha glowered. "But you're brushing your teeth when we get home." Some time passed in more agreeable conversation.

With a display of dexterity, Sesshomaru deftly finished off his ramen, laying the chopsticks aside. He took out a folder from the inside of his pocket and laid it out on the table.

"Inuyasha," he said clearing his throat as Inuyasha's slurping ended. "If you are about finished I have some important business to discuss with you." All eyes turned towards the taiyoukai.

"As you know, last night we apprehended the miko responsible for leading the Spiritual Services Organization. Due to her dangerous and unstable nature, she was executed immediately but not before being questioned about her organization's activities. There is one incident I was especially interested in learning her involvement in and that was the possible assassination of Kagome and yourself fifteen years ago."

Inuyasha spluttered. "What do you mean… assassination? Don't tell me someone got me without me knowing?"

Shippo gave him a sympathetic look. "It's like he said Father. You and Kagome just up and died at the same time. At first, everyone thought it was just the passing of bound mates since you were so close. In your case that is almost certainly so, there was nothing wrong with you. But there was something wrong with Kagome. Sesshomaru and I both agreed that there was not even a tiny bit of human left in her at her passing. It was as if the area was seeping with weird magics."

Inuyasha sat there with a serious look while Kagome bit her finger thoughtfully, her eyebrows pursed.

"Is it possible I lost control of my demon energy similar to how Inuyasha has in the past?" Shippo shook his head.

"I have never seen or heard you lose your head like that before, Kagome. Besides, you carried subjugation charms just in case."

"Subjugation charms, huh?" said Inuyasha quirking an eyebrow. "Sounds good to me. I have a few ideas of commands I would love to put on you."

"Sit boy," said Kagome sending him splattering into his ramen bowl. "So what happened after we...err… passed on?"

"At the time of your death, both of you had become elderly in body. It was a matter of time before natural causes took your life. Knowing this and the secret of the well, which would allow you to reappear in this world at a later date, I endeavored to keep your time of death a secret. A tomb was constructed with a barrier repulsing all humans and youkai. However, the secret got out and the barrier removed to allow mourners to visit the gravesite. A family of keepers was employed instead. If I recall properly, one of Bounsa's daughters from the Lynx Demon Tribe pledged herself and her descendents to the task."

"At that time, knowledge of your death had become public. However, instead of redistributing your property in accordance to your will, I have held it in inactivation. For the past fifteen years I have taken on the appearance of fool, telling all my lawyers that you would rise to life again along with your youth. The only way I could make my claims valid was to weave a tale involving ritual magic and the powers of Tenseiga. Fortunately, the rumor has done its work. The lawyers involved in your will-making had been told the same tale by you before your death. Though impatient, they have given me a total of twenty years before acting on the contract."

"So?" said Inuyasha edgily. "What does that mean?"

"It means, Little Brother, that tomorrow you are going to the law offices with me. The Demon News is already spreading rumors that you have been, "reawakened from the dead." I have an interview tomorrow to confirm the suspicions and lend credence to the story. Also, I wish for you to be there, acting as if most of your memory is erased."

"Gotcha. But what about that woman? The one you executed?"

"She maintained that it was a natural death as far as she was concerned. Though she herself had levied many unsuccessful attempts on your life, she had nothing to do with your passing. The cause must lie with someone else."

"So are you gonna find them or what?"

"We have no way to know for certain. Shippo possesses our only lead."

"It's not really a lead, actually," said Shippo flipping through the dessert menu. "It's more like a dead-end really."

"What do you mean?" said Inuyasha.

"Well, it actually has something to do with what you said, Kagome. You once told me that you would be dying at the same time as Inuyasha. I asked you why and you smiled and shook your head. You told me, "that's a secret only the Dog-Goddess knows."

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged looks. "Of course," she uttered. Inuyasha nodded again and threaded his fingers in hers across the table.

"Well, if that's the case, Sesshomaru, you can mark it down as natural causes. There ain't nothin' to worry about."

Sesshomaru frowned at them.

"Like she said, it's a secret. I think Kagome and I both know it already, don't we Kags?" She nodded her head emphatically.

"You think it's the spell that turned me into a hanyou?" she thought at him.

"I do," he replied.

"That's what the Dog-Goddess said too," said Shippo fingering the menu. "Did you know she married Sesshomaru's second son? He's a hanyou, just like you. Says she loved the ears. Anyway, I went to ask her to look into the past for us. When I got there, she simply shook her head and told me not to worry about it. She said it was a secret she could not reveal."

"So don't," said Inuyasha leaning back. "Besides, if someone did off us then they'd be doing us a favor. I don't wants to be old," he slurred. Kagome giggled.

"I'm having hard time imagining it."

Inuyasha was having a hard time imagining something else. Sesshomaru's son a hanyou? Shaking his head in disbelief, he found the largest and most sugary thing on the dessert menu.


	72. Chapter 72

Okay, short one. I just gotta get some reviews on how you like this one before I continue. I was thinking about having him Kohaku hang around awhile... or not.

Sango was kneeled on the side of a riverbank, scouring the clay off of vegetables. Carefully scrubbing the dirt with a small brush, she dropped them one by one into a large basket. Dipping the entire basket in the river once more, she gave them a final swish and carried them over to a rock conveniently placed by the river's edge. Rolling her shoulder loose with a sigh, she stooped over and began to dutifully tie daikon radishes into a vertical stack, suitable for hanging on the hut wall. It was a traditional method of storage. Finishing with the radishes, Sango strung together a small bundle of leeks. Looking down on the work before her, Sango set the drying vegetables aside. She moved them enough so that she herself could sit on the stone rock and soak in the sun. Soon she would return to the little hut she shared with Miroku, and their son Kohaku. Soon but not yet. She wanted a little more time to think to herself away from their depressing little hut.

It was not the future Sango had at all imagined. Once, she had imagined being a demonslayer all her life, fighting alongside her father in the village, or maybe marrying one of the other demonslayer boys and teaching them to be as formidable as she. Once, she had dreamed that perhaps Kohaku would be saved and she would help take care of him until he became a man. There was even the vacant hope that somehow they could salvage his life, so that one day he would marry and have children of his own, bringing restoration their family line. After that, she had dreamt of marrying Miroku, having a blissful, anguish-free marriage with dozens of children to surround herself with. Maybe even the twenty he had asked for. But after that, all dreams fell apart with passing of Kohaku, and with Miroku's actions, and her own.

One single child. One single child bearing her dead brother's name. It was like a weight bearing her down, consuming her soul. She could not move forward. She could not know life. She could not forget. And most importantly, it seemed she could not forgive. She would give birth to one to replace the Kohaku she had lost. Yet she could not bring herself to give Miroku children for his own sake. It was an unspoken sore spot between them. He criticized, rightly, that she was still living in the past and in this he was right.

Sango swayed, caught in the absence between her relevant daydreams and the reality she was forced to live in. Lacking the energy to will herself into action, she remained on the steady stone, her hand pressed against it. In this moment, the stone was her love. More than Miroku, more than Kohaku, and especially more than herself.

The woman with a closed heart did not notice as a slim figure apparitioned into the tree behind her. She did not note that he wore a monk's robes yet strapped to his waist was the chain-scythe that had slaughtered so many innocents. She did not notice how his heart sped at the sight of a simple village woman or how he kicked out at a floating lamb-eared demoness to keep her silent.

The demoness gave the young man a small peck on the cheek then promptly shoved him out of the tree. Floating away with a merry giggle, the demoness was not present to witness Kohaku prying his face loose from the forest soil. Sango however, had whirled around at the crash and now sat, staring transfixed at a face that so resembled Kohaku's, and that of her beloved father.

"Sango," the stranger uttered, all time and thought halted for both of them. "I am sorry."

Trembling, Sango stood up, her ankles nearly giving out beneath her. "Kohaku," she muttered before shaking her head. "No, I'm sorry. So often I see you. Here and there. Sometimes it's the neighbor. Sometimes it's in a village far away. Standing there… on a riverbank…or by a tree. Or maybe walking away in a crowd. But I know it's not you. I know I'm just seeing things. You can't possibly be here…again." Her lip trembled and the woman hugged herself, turning her back to him. "You can't possibly be him, he died so long ago," she mumbled, biting back a flood of tears.

Tensing, she sensed a set of footprints came up behind her. She stiffened as a pair of hands came round to embrace her front, and a head came to rest on her shoulder, topped by bushy raven hair. She stood trembling as one hand freed itself from the embrace to run once through her hair.

"Forgive me… Anue. I have been away so long."

"Kohaku?" she murmured as if part of a delirium. "Can it really be you?"

The boy, now a man, said nothing. Instead, he pulled Sango around to look at him.

"Sesshomaru saved me," he said briefly. "He owed Kagura. I was afraid. I was too afraid to come to you so I stayed. I remained at his castle for many years. I should never have stayed away. I should have sent you word. Sister, I am sorry."

"Kohaku," Sango reiterated. Reaching delicately as if he was an illusion that would shatter under her touch, Sango stretched out her fingers and stroked Kohaku's cheeks with her fingertips. Amazed that the phantom had not vanished, she grew bolder and allowed herself to run featherlight caresses along his nose, his jawbones, his chin. Breaking into a sob, she permitted herself to plaster the sides of his face with kisses. Then she drew away to look into his eyes.

"I was so afraid. I was so sure, I would never see you again. I was so sorry that I failed you."

"Hush Sango," said Kohaku drawing her to him in a comforting embrace. The woman continued to sob, wrenching in his arms.

"But I failed. I wronged you so much. And then I did the unthinkable. Kohaku, you can never forgive me for what I did. I shamed me and our whole family."

"Shh," murmured Kohaku. Her ran his palm down her back in hopes to calm her. "I have already heard all about it. I know all about Taihen. I forgive you. It's my fault really. If I hadn't died you would still be same proud slayer I know you are."

"But how can you forgive me!" Sango screamed wrenching herself free from her brother's arms and casting her gaze to the ground. Her entire body was aquiver. "How can you forgive me," she half-yelled, "when I can never forgive myself?" Kohaku caught her chin up and forced her to look into the broad, black expanse in his brown eyes.

"You will forgive yourself because you are my big sister," he ordered. "You will forgive yourself because I have sinned, and I desperately seek your forgiveness. You will forgive yourself for the sake of father, and for me." Sango nodded and Kohaku dropped his hand. He took a pace back then kneeled at her feet.

"Sango, please forgive me for injuring you. Forgive me for sorrowing and worrying you. Forgive me, I beg you, of the sins of killing our father and all our fellow demonslayers, as well as many innocent people. Forgive me, dear sister, for not being there for you."

Sango bit her lip and nodded. She began to speak. "Forgive me for…" Her brother, Kohaku, caught her hand, cutting here off.

"There is nothing to forgive," he said bluntly. Anue you are strained. You are guilty of nothing but a broken heart. I have sworn to Inuyasha that I will continue to search for Taihen, my niece. Someday, after we have freed her from Naraku, I will take care of and provide for her, if you will allow me. By Buddha's name I swear I will do my best for you."

Her eyes full circles in the bright summer's light, Sango nodded, slowly. Stepping up timidly, she wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, allowing herself stand against him, feeling he was real. Kohaku let her, gulping down the tears in his own throat.

Miroku stopped, halted along the forest path. He knit his eyebrows together, eyes glittering with a dangerous smolder. The sight of Sango with another man deafened all his senses until Sango drew back and began to finger the stranger's face. "Kohaku," she murmured, with a look of utmost affection upon her features.

"Big sister," was the stranger's reply.

Miroku's jaw unclenched and decided to fall instead. Knotting his eyebrows up in confusion, he surveyed the stranger, noting the things that made him indeed, look the long lost Kohaku. Remarkably, there was no trace of demon influence, or of jewel shards. Sifting through the possibilities, Miroku encroached upon the scene, his sandaled footsteps crunching heavily against gravel of the shore. Sango turned her head and looked at him. Her lips began to tremble and her eyes threatened to spill. Launching herself into Miroku's arms, Sango clung about his neck with both hands, nuzzling herself against his shirtfront. Startled and rather relieved, he let one hand wrap around her, the other still on his staff. Miroku looked over at the stranger, eying the monastery robes he bore. He nodded as the two men caught eyes, simultaneously reaching a decision about Sango. Miroku pulled the woman back from the front of his robes. Laying a hand on either of her shoulders, he looked into her upturned face. Scanning her joyous tears, he dropped his eyes to her rosy lips, as if desirous to kiss them.

"Tell me what happened Sango," he soothed. Water flowed from Sango's eyes again but she held still, clasping his hand within her own.

"It's so wonderful, Miroku. Kohaku came home. I know you've said it's not possible but he's here. He's been staying with Sesshomaru all this time. Kohaku said so."

Miroku's eyes widened. "Sesshomaru?" he said wonderingly. He was stunned by Sango's sudden spill of light-hearted laughter, a sound he had not heard for many years. Miroku looked over Sango's head at the traveler. Kohaku nodded his head so that Miroku could see it.

"What she says is true," began Kohaku. "Inuyasha-sama already paid me a visit at his brother's castle. I have been staying with Lord Sesshomaru-sama ever since he revived me with Tenseiga."

Miroku let out a whistle filled with relief and building happiness. "If that is indeed the case," said Miroku summoning one of his confident smiles, "then I am indeed very grateful for it. I would like to apologize to you in person, for my failings to you and your sister." His grin had waned into a painful one.

Kohaku looked back at him, his face full of askance. "Very well then, brother-in-law," he said with a touch of formalness. "There will be plenty of time for that. I hope to stay with my sister and your family for a while in order to come to know you." He fashioned a grin for himself from his heartbroken one. Sango sighed in happiness and hugged Miroku round the middle, forgetting her strength for moment.

"Sango, you're squishing me dearest!" squeaked out Miroku between gaspings. Sango let go rapidly and he dropped to the ground.

"Sorry Miroku," she said shyly, blushing bright red like the timid young demonslayer they had once known so long ago. For his part, Miroku was happy, for when she looked up at him again, her eyes were that of the woman he had fallen in love with while traveling on the hunt for Naraku. At last, he knew, Sango had thrown away her veil of pain.


	73. Chapter 73

Notes: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters. The ones I made up are mine, obviously. Haven't been able to post for a while. Good news for you though, I still live! Tada. This chapter and all the fuss about Sango is hard but it's integral to the story. Please try to bear it. For happier tales see my writer's profile. This story is the most extreme one I have posted. No, I do not have writer's block! I apologize for lack of updates but some things are unavoidable. I am grateful for your continuing faith in me upon these trying times. Smiles.

Kilala sat in the radiant summer sunshine, enjoying the peace and quiet. Nearby the stream that irrigated the village fields bubbled and spilled within its channel. The grassy bank she was on was green and fresh, with the lightly euphoric scent of mown grass. The two-tailed cat demon stretched. She allowed her claws to kneed the ground lightly. It was a typical cat-like behavior. Yet, unbeknownst to anyone but herself, Kilala thought like a human whether or not she looked like one.

"Someday perhaps," Kilala thought. "When I am old and strong enough, maybe I will have my own human form. And a voice."

The afternoon was sunny, perfect for thinking. Kilala was glad. She had a lot to think about. She came to a decision. For now, she was content to use her flying skills and her intermediate class youkai abilities to help her friends in battle. It was a good feeling, being able to help out and to be part of an informal inuyoukai pack. Kilala had other things to think about too. She thought about the hanyou for a second. Dark memories surrounded her making her very glad for the sunshine. She had been horrified by what had transpired between her mistress and the hanyou that fateful night so long ago. In a way, the little cat demon felt it was all her fault since she had been sleeping so soundly on a bed of catnip. Perhaps, she thought to herself, if she had been only a little more comforting to Sango after Kohaku died. Then none of the bad things of that night would have happened.

But they did happen, and Kilala was young but surely not a kitten. She understood the consequences and did the only thing she could do for her mistress which was to support her even when all others turned away. It was difficult to witness. All the members of her formerly close-knit pack had turned away from Sango. They shunned her without pushing her out. It was as if they half-expected Sango to leave on her own. Kilala had been caught in the crossfire. Since she remained so devoutly loyal to her mistress, Inuyasha and the others had begun to turn their nose up at her. They refused to pet her or give her treats. It was as if they would rather ignore that she was there. It was the same coldness they showed Sango.

It seemed their indifference had a lasting effect on Sango. Kilala watched, sadly, as her mistress waned in health and spirit. She watched as Sango refused to care about herself until pregnancy nearly took her life. She watched sadly as Sango gave her child away.

Kilala had not blamed their packleader. If anything, she knew more than he did about inu youkai Unlike wolves, they were given to having many lovers and many children. It was perfectly suitable for Inuyasha to have two females amongst the pack. Yet she knew also that Inuyasha had cheated on his mate. That made all the difference. So, too, did Sango's betrayal of his trust by forcing him into an action he never would have done consciously. Kilala placed all her blame on the spell.

Kohaku's death had left Sango broken, wild. Her sanity always teetered n the edge. Kilala could not count the nights she had followed after Sango to supervise as she cried. Or how many times the sorrowed woman chased after someone whom resembled her brother only to murmur, "I knew it wasn't him."

Kilala was still Sango's confidence. She still knew all Sango's secrets and for this she was infinitely glad. Thanks to her muteness, Kilala always knew exactly what to expect from Sango whilst the others tiptoed around her, baffled.

Kilala had been overjoyed when Miroku had accepted Sango back. She was even more overjoyed when Sango had a second child, one she could keep. Yet she was made disconsolate by Sango's continuing inability to come to terms with her loss. Kilala knew as much as her mistress did that if Miroku had been there that day Kohaku would not have died. Knowing Miroku's part in Kohaku's death, it seemed than Sango could never truly forgive the monk. For this reason, Sango had been able to take one son from Miroku to replace the Kohaku she had lost. Yet the young woman also admitted that she could not bear to give Miroku more children for his own sake. It was a cruel act. With a host of tears, Sango had admitted to the small feline that it felt like she was stealing again. Kilala had to agree.

It made Kilala sigh inside. Sango's constant turmoil's tried even her devout patience. With a broken heart, Kilala spent many a day standing by the sides of riverbanks holding up a basket as Sango collected herbs to keep her infertile. It was for Kagome and Inuyasha she always said. Yet Kilala knew better. The demon slayer reserved some for herself.

Finally, at long last, came that glorious day of Kohaku's return. Somehow, Sesshomaru had redeemed the life of Kilala's second master. It was like paradise on earth to witness Sango come out of her shell and become the youthful, buoyant girl she had once been. The life that had so long gone out of her eyes came back. So too did her radiant spirit.

Gone was the paranoid mother. Gone was the wife whom looked on her husband's flirting without reprimand, only a tried acknowledgement. Gone was the woman who cried every night and hid herself from the expectations of the world. Instead Sango bloomed as a woman, beautiful and pure. It seemed the nightmare had gone away at last.

For a long while, Miroku had to take second place in Sango's heart. He even had to forfeit his bedside as Sango kept having nightmares. She dreamt that Kohaku disappeared in the middle of the night or had become possessed again. After a long couple of months Kohaku had been able to move to his own hut and Miroku had been able to get his pallet back. To his unexpected delight, he found Sango more than eager for his return. In short order, he became the proud father to a set of triplets. It seemed as if the gods and Sango were making up for lost time.

Kilala smiled to herself. Kohaku had settled down too. Though he annually accompanied Inuyasha on a search for Naraku and Taihen, Kohaku had chosen a wife from amongst the village girls. The name of this wonderful girl was Sara (no relation to Sesshy's Sara). She herself had been possessed once by a minor demon. For this reason, she had a mild sense of how it felt to be controlled and an abundance of sympathy. To Kohaku's good fortune, she was radiantly beautiful as well.

So now Sango had nieces and nephews to think about as she strolled around the village. Kilala was glad for her. She wondered if her mistress would have grandchildren soon too as she watched Sango's son Kohaku and Shippo's sister, Uruwashii sneak around the outskirts of the village. As he had grown up, the boy had taken an obvious liking to the young vixen. Uruwashii felt the same way. She would wrap her tail around the two of them and they would reminisce for hours in the atmosphere of pure romance. Kilala tried not to worry about it too much. Kitsune hanyous were not uncommon. Also, due to their transformation magic, they were not unstable like the dog-demon ones.

Kilila yawned. She stretched and fluffed up her fur. After giving her black paw a few coated licks, she allowed herself to transform and buoyed up into the open sky. She ran across the blue itself, using her youkai winds to propel herself far above the green forest. Looking down, she spotted many of her close friends. There, sitting on a tree branch was Kagome and Inuyasha. Their young daughter Sumire waved up at the two-tail from her mother's lap. Kilala flew onwards in search of her other friends, enjoying the fresh air. On the old swinging bridge where Kagome had first told Inuyasha to sit, she found Kohaku and Uruwashii looking down into the impressive gorge, holding hands. In a meadow close by the village, Shippo and Aijo were sanding and repainting one of Shippo's tops. Yasuo was hunkered nearby watching his brothers attentively. Within the village itself, Hodji played the role of a babysitter for Sango's triplets while she and Miroku tended the garden. Kilala knew also that Myoga was nearby. He had hidden himself in her fur after a long trip to visit his master. Kilala purred. She was happy for herself and for all of them. She only hoped that the peace would last.

For many years, they had seen no signs of Naraku. Kilala hoped that it would stay that way for a long time yet. It did her heart good to see Sango so happy. But she also knew that someday, Naraku would return along with Taihen and the ice-demon Senestice.

"Someday we will have to face danger again," Kilala thought sadly. "Yet on that day I will fight, and there will be many to help us."

The two-tail landed on her favorite meadow patch so she could chase butterflies. She stood up on her heels and began to dance around the meadow with no one to worry about but herself. It was very relaxing. The two-tail came to another decision at that moment.

"Yes," Kilala decided dreamily. "I am very glad sunny days are so good for thinking. I have thought a lot of good thoughts today."

After this pronouncement, Kilala went back to her butterfly chasing until she tired. She curled up and went to sleep in a clover patch. It was there that Miroku found her. Cradling Kilala in his arms, he carried the napping cat back home.

"Silly cat," said Miroku stroking the back of her head gently so as not to wake her. "You are so fortunate as to be able to sleep away with no care in the world." Little did he know that appearances can be so deceiving.


	74. Chapter 74

Many thanks to all my loyal readers. You have no idea how grateful I am to you.

"Uneme," called a young woman anxiously with raven black hair. A sliding door opened, and a small demoness with courtly dress appeared.

"Yes, my lady," she responded coming towards Rin. She picked up a comb and dragged it thorough the girl's hair. Then she spun her around to face her.

"Now my dear," said the old demoness. "What is the matter?"

"It's my nineteenth birthday today," stated Rin. The old demon picked up ears at the tone of sadness in her voice. She waited for the girl to say more.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Certainly," said the demon letting her compose her thoughts.

"Well," said Rin. "You were raised by humans rights?"

"I certainly was," said her uneme or lady-in-waiting. "But what does this have to do with you?"

"That's why Lord Sesshomaru picked you right. You're the only one who doesn't hate me."

Rin's tone had turned wooden, and her uneme picked up the comb again to run it reassuringly through the girl's hair. She bunched it up and shook the girl's shoulders.

"Don't worry about any of that. Lord Sesshomaru cares about you and he'll see to it that you're taken care of. He'll protect you from any harm. You know that right?"

"I don't know," said Rin biting her lip in uncertainty. "Lately he has been avoiding me. When he wants to talk to me, he sends messages through Jakin."

The old demoness looked at her thoughtfully. "You miss him right?" she said softly.

"More than anything," said Rin the tears pooling in her eyes. She wiped them away. "It's been ten years since he took me in. I was only nine then. He's the only one I have Uneme, except you."

"There there," said the old demoness trying to comfort her. "I'm sure he still thinks about you. His little Rin. He's just busy that's all."

"That's just it," said Rin breaking into copious weeping. "That's not good enough for me anymore. I want to be more than that."

"There there now," said the demoness patting her back. "Now how about I get you a nice hot bowl of soba? You'll feel better if you have something to eat."

Rin calmed down and sat there with a trembling lip. She sighed as the old demoness exited the room. As soon as the door slid shut, she got up and walked to the window of the room. She looked out blearily, hoping to see something she could not see.

"I love you," whispered Rin, fresh tears gliding down her face.

Far away, in another castle , Sesshomaru raised himself up and sighed. The woman beneath him was so cold. As cold as foes whose bodies he dangled as he choked the life out of them with his hand. There was nothing about her that made him feel warmth. He looked down on his consort without any feeling. What was he doing here? It was all for the sake of a heir. But while he lay looking down, he imagined somehow for a moment that the demoness was the one he desired. "Rin," he whispered dropping a kiss to her lips.

There was rejoicing among demons. At last, the current Lord of the Dog Demons had stopped fooling around and produced a suitable heir. No more journeys. No more indulging the whims of a small human child. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. With the maturation of Rin, everyone feared he would take his father's route and spawn a half-demon. Such a person was considered only a shame to the Dog-Demon Clan, except by a few of the sager demons. They knew that such a hybrid only meant power, albeit for one or two generations before the human blood soothed away and purified the unnecessary demon. But according to the majority, Inuyasha and any off-spring he had were not suitable heirs. No self-respecting youkai could place themselves under the rule of a hanyou. They were a filthy aberration.

So everyone had been relieved when Sesshomaru had begun taking business trips away form his castle where he had settled the young human. They were even more relieved when it was whispered through he grapevine that Sesshomaru was making visits to his consorts in their various holdings. They were all the daughters of demons of great political clout, so when ignored they had simply gone home. Sesshomaru had approved if their leaving, saying he would call on them when he was ready to engage their services.

But the young demon had grown older without a trace of desire to settle down. Instead he roamed, choosing enemies, expanding the territory, and seeking ways tot increase his power. He had dealt with the upstart Naraku, until Naraku was destroyed. Not by him, but destroyed none the less. These days, he kept spies out looking for traces of Mouryoumaru or the evil baby, who had stolen something away.

Sesshomaru had never seemed interested in the consorts he was given. They were very beautiful demons, of high culture and breeding. There was nothing they should be lacking to please him. Yet Sesshomaru had proved fickle.

But then, Sesshomaru had always been a problem. He was disinterested, unsocial. After the death of his mother as a small child he simply withdrew. It only got worse with the scandals of his father who shocked the kingdom by marking a mortal. This was an especial insult to Sesshomaru, whose mother had only been a consort. Since he kept to himself, everyone was puzzled by Sesshomaru. But Sesshomaru was less puzzled within himself.

An important truth is that one can love, emotionally, more than one person. Yet, one can only love who they want to in a certain way. Sesshomaru, who never had much a capacity for love, had found only one woman in his life whom he loved. Who loved him in return. Really loved him. He could not stomach the fact or action of looking someone into the eyes and knowing it was a political marriage. That the person didn't care. For that reason, he avoided his concubines like the plague.

Sesshomaru really didn't know what he was doing for a while. He was hungry for love and had no idea. He had lost his mother, then argued with and lost his father. He was alone in the world and pressed to find meaning.

He thought for a while that conquest was the answer. That becoming the strongest was the answer. But then meaning came to him in the form of brown eyes. For the first time, he truly realized why one even bothers to exist. What life was all about. But he could never have her.

So one day in the spring when Rin was twenty years old and Aijo ten, Sesshomaru's first born son came into his castle to live. Sesshomaru made the pronouncement solemnly and Rin ran from the room to hide her tears. Afterwards, a solemness descended on the owner of the castle.

In his chambers, Sesshomaru frowned unhappily. He had scented the tears on Rin's face and longed to go to her. He longed to do so much more than comfort her tears. He was repulsed yet excited by the thought. Rin had grown up to be so beautiful. Her face had a softness akin to that of Kagome and Inuyasha' mother. Sesshomaru wondered what this attraction meant for the Clan.

Sesshomaru got up. Maybe his shoes were pinching him too tight. He went out into the garden for a stroll. It wasn't long before he came across Rin.

"Rin," he said softly as she sat on a garden wall. She turned her head slowly and looked at him. Her waist-length hair dripped out by pieces over the side of her shoulder.

"Sesshomaru," said Rin quietly. "How was your journey?"

"Fine," was the soft-spoken reply. They both listened to the leaves stir in the wind.

"Did you...tell him?" Rin asked.

"Who?"

"Your brother," she said gently.

"No," he said. "Eventually. He doesn't need to know now." Rin nodded her head.

"What does he look like?" said she.

"Like me. A suitable heir. His mother was all dog-demon." Rin nodded.

"Do you... love him?" she asked.

"Maybe," said Sesshomaru. "He is my son."

"Do you love... her?" Rin asked. Sesshomaru said nothing.

"Yes," he thought to himself. "I love HER. My Rin."

He lifted a hand and reluctantly Rin took it. She raised herself off the bench and followed after him with her head bowed. If only he didn't do that. If only he never touched her, then she would know and she could try to forget. But she could never forget all the times she had been saved by his strong arms, or lay asleep in his lap as a child. She longed to reach out and nuzzle herself in his fur. It had been so long.

They walked on silently for a while. Finally her turned around. "Rin," he said. "My duties here are fulfilled fora while. I have decided to go on a journey."

"With...me?" Rin thought with her heart swelling with hope.

"Please wait here for me Rin," he said. "I need some time to contemplate."

Tears swelled up in Rin's eyes. She wasn't going to take it. "Think right here," she said impulsively. "Think right now. What answers are you seeking?" They both stared into each other's eyes. Sesshomaru walked off trying to ignore her.

Rin looked around her and got an idea. She jumped into a fountain and stood up. Sesshomaru turned around and saw her dripping with water.

"That isn't going to work," he said calmly refusing to play the part of a gentleman and get her out of the fountain.

"Drat that man's control!" thought Rin.

"Fine," she said equally as calmly. "I will win." They stared at each other.

"There is nothing to win," said sesshomaru.

"I think that there is," said Rin.

Sesshomaru showed his teeth in a pleased way. "You know it is forbidden," he said.

"You have a heir," said Rin.

"No," Sesshomaru stated and walked away.

"I will get him," thought Rin.

Sesshomaru went on his journey. The problem with that is that it gave Sesshomaru's consort an opportunity to exhibit her maliciousness. She had moved into the castle as well and was unwilling to share her territory or her man with a human girl. It was time to turn up the competition.


	75. Chapter 75

Kenri powdered her face in the mirror and looked out the window. She stiffened at the sight. HER Sesshomaru was walking around with that mortal, that human girl. She growled angrily and snapped the lid to her powder box shut. She was in too much of a state to put her lipstick on without smearing so she walked over to the crib where her child lay. A perfect child with nearly pure dog-demon blood. She picked up her son and cuddled him gently.

She had never thought she would love her child this much. She become a consort because it was her duty to her father and her kingdom. It was a lot fallen to her because of her position at birth. Yet, after her child had been born, her mothering instincts had kicked in. Besides that, she found herself fascinated with Sesshomaru.

He had been so cold when he had made love to her. So silent. She had bridled with rage when she had heard a word slip from his lips. "Rin". He had uttered it when he had kissed her and again when he had slipped into her. She was not Rin. Yet, she could feel the longing in his breath, see the sadness in his eyes. Everywhere he went, she could sense the loneliness in his form.

So Kenri found herself madly in love with the man whom had gotten her pregnant. Somewhere, at the back of her mind, she wanted to make him desire her as much as he had desired Rin. She respected and abborred the human girl. Oh, she would show her competition.

Kenri had a talent. She could pof herself smaller into a tiny dog no bigger than a fox. She could grow larger than a house of course but such a great size for her was largely impractical. It was the males of her clan that did most of the battling, and just now she needed to spy.

So she poofed herself down into her minuscule form and snuck off down the hallway. She pivoted around her ears listening for servants. When one came gliding by, she slid behind a piece of furniture and waited for them to pass. At last she stopped outside Rin's door and poofed temporarily into her humanoid form to jiggle open the door. Then she poofed back down and crept inside.

The room was dark and Rin was out in the garden. Kenri sniffed around cautiously. She leapt up onto the bench in front of Rin's mirror-stand. She looked into the polished brass and surveyed her looks.

"I am beautiful, am I not?" said Kenri studying her markings. She had blue stripes running down her cheek all the way to the base of her neck. She had a whole half moon on her forehead instead of a crescent indicating that her power was greater than that of Sesshomaru. His mother had been weak, she thought to herself. An absence of a moon indicated a new moon or ultimate power.

Kenri stopped her self-examination and hopped down from the stool. She looked at all Rin's girly things on her counter and knocked them over with her paws. She then stepped into her creams and oils and walked them all over the room. Kenri felt only a little vindicated.

She moved onto her closet next. There were all the finest of robes Sesshomaru had commissioned for Rin. They were extraordinarily beautiful and very costly. Kenri hesitated because she would surely be found out, but she ripped them all to shreds with her teeth.

Next she hopped onto Rin's bed and snifffed it. She could find no trace of Sesshomaru on it so she was pleased. Yet, she flopped on it and decided it needed something. She snuck into the hall and stole a mopping bucket from the maids. She poured the grimy water on it. Then she sniffed and rolled all over the sheets to apply her scent. She was behavning very catishly, but she didn't care. Kenri then leapt up to the top of the wall and hid on one of the moldings.

Rin came in after saying goodbye. What she found was destruction. "Uneme!" she called despairingly. Kenri snickered and snuck away before the old lady-in-waiting could find her.

"Don't worry," said Rin's uneme with an arm aorund the young woman's back. Rin was perched on the edge of her bed blinking with frustration.

"This is just a jealous demon's tricks. They all get this way at one time or another. It's just that she's realized that you're special and she can't stand it." Rin's unmene ran her fingers over a strand of Rin's hair comfortingly.

"Really?" said Rin. "She's a very terrible woman."

"Just jealous my dear," said the lady-in-waiting. "But I must warn you girl. If she gets very territorial, back off. You don't have any claws or teeth to use in a fight so don't even try." Rin stood up angrily.

"I can't let her bully me around like this, demon or not!" she said.

"Calm down dear," said her Uneme. "This is a territorial thing so the strongest one will win. You don't stand a chance against her."

"We'll see," said Rin.

That afternoon, Rin went searching in storage to find and old box. It held her old things from the days she had traveled with Sesshomaru such as her old kimono, her toy demon doll, arrow heads, a few pieces of paper, and an old bottle. "Perfect," she said.

Rin woke up early the next day. She walked down to the banquet hall humming happily. She ate breakfast in complete peace with no Kenri glaring at her. The servants wondered why until they went up to her room to check on the consort. A sealing sutra had been placed on the door locking Kenri in. Rin felt very childish but at the same time very satisfied.

At last the servants begged Rin to let Kenri out and she yielded. She went upstairs and yanked off the spell scroll. Kenri floated out immediately, fuming.

"How dare you do that to me you little mortal!" screeched Kenri. "When Sesshomaru comes back and hears of your little tricks..."

"He'll hear of yours," stated Rin. Kenri deflated.

"We'll see," she said stomping off. Kenri wasn't a bad person. She was just a very spoiled person. After a while, Rin and Kenri both felt very foolish for their actions and avoided each other wholly.

Sesshomaru's journey was a long one however. A month went by and one day Rin encountered Kenri in the garden. She was bouncing her little baby up and down on her knee. Rin couldn't help but be drawn nearer.

"Can I see him," she asked cautiously. Kerni stopped but couldn't help but be flattered.

"All right," she said holding her baby out so Rin could see but not touch him.

Rin caught her breath. "He looks like Sesshomaru," she said.

"Yes," said Kenri tickling his chin smugly. "He does look like his Daddy." Rin was very put off.

"You don't even like Sesshomaru," she demanded with hands on her hips.

Kenri stopped. "I wouldn't say that," she said.. "I was given to him. But that doesn't mean I'm dissastified with who I was given to."

Rin put her arms down defeatedly. She was beginning to walk away whn suddenly the sky rattled. The castle around her shuttered under a violent and brief earthquake.

"What is that?" said Rin alarmed.

"An atttack," said Kenri shrugging. "They must know Sesshomaru is gone and are trying to exploit that." The sound of fire hitting the stone and gobbling up rooftops could be heard. "Come on," said Kenri earnestly to Rin. She led forward and Rin followed.

There were the shouts of many demons fighting with swords, halberds, teeth, and fists. It began to get quiet as Kenri led them through the castle to the wing where she lived. Kenri stopped beneath a statue of a dog in battle and turned to it.

"Coming?" she asked Rin. She grabbed a jewel off the chain she had around her neck and pressed it to the collar of the statue. She yanked it back as the statue stirred and stepped aside of the wall. Rin expected to see a secret passage but instead the statue opened its jaws and white mist poured from its mouth. Mist sunk tothe floor, creating a swirling circle.

"Come on," said Kenri pulling her in. They sank through the mists and disappeared. The statue curled itself again and froze with a snarl.

Sesshomaru rushed back to the castle as soon as messangers arrived informing him of the attack. He slammed through the invaders, tearingthem to pieces. He hurried inside and found the place unbreached. Yet, he could not find Kenri or Rin. He sniffed the air and strangely found that their scent vanished together along with that of his son.

On the other side of the passage of mist, Rin found herself kneeled on squares of granite. There was no light and looking around she realized with a gulp that this was a dungeon. Kenri stood up calmly with Sesshomaru's son in her arms. She approached a tall demon standing there.

"Hi Daddy-Doggy," she said smiling. She narrowed her eyes evilly. "Let me introduce you to Rin."


	76. Chapter 76

Kenri smiled smugly, Rin's heart doing a drumroll in her chest. "Lord Sesshomaru," she thought on instinct, once more the innocent child.

"The human girl?" said Kenri's father. "Very well daughter," he said. "I will have her killed."

Kenri's eyes shuttered wide. "D...d...daddy," she stuttered. "I didn't mean it like that. She doesn't have to die. What will Lord Sesshomaru say?"

"Lord Sesshomaru will never know," said the dog-demon, "and if he did it wouldn't matter."

"D-d-daddy!" said Kenri shocked.

"Very well then," he said. "I will have her imprisioned until you decide what to do with her. But remember child. She is your enemy. You must show no mercy to get what you want."

Kenri bit her lip. She was a spoiled little girl. She had never seen this side of her father since she had nothing to do with battle. He, however, was a vetran. A brute fighter of a family that had served Sesshomaru's immediate family for generations. He had worked hard to gain a higher position and had lobbied for his daughter to be chosen as a consort. He had always told her it was her duty to their family and he meant it. She was born solely for the purpose of advancement. Now, she had delivered to him exactly what he needed. He called one of his warriors over.

"Kenri, give me the child," he demanded.

"What, Daddy no," she said confused.

"Give it to me," he said tearing him from her arms. Kenri tried to resist.

"Is this Sesshomaru' son?" he said looking at it.

"Y...yes," said Kenri.

"Good," said Kenri's father handing it over to the warrior.

"Daddy!" screamed Kenri confused and angry. Her eyes throbbed with paternal instinct threatening transformation.

"Quiet girl," said Kenri's father. "The child will be all right. It will be delivered to Sesshomaru' rivals as a bargaining chip."

"No!" screamed Kenri leaping up with her claws. "I won't let you!"

Unceremoniously, Kenri's father knocked Kenri unconcious. "Believe me girl," he said emotionlessly. "This is the best thing for you." Rin stared at the unmoving Kenri as she was dragged away.

Kenri woke up slowly and sat up groggily on her childhood bed. On the bed where she had made love to Lord Sesshomaru. The bed where she had conceived. Tears leaked down her eyes. Demon warriors were guarding her door and she knew it. She could smell them. So she poofed into her tiny form and slipped out the window. She would find Rin. She would make this right and she would take back her son.

Rin was staring at the wall since there was nothing else to do but stare at the wall. She had been staring and staring for the last few hours and had only the prosepct of staring some more when suddenly somebody knocked and she fell with a jolt. She heard a gentle scratching at the door. She looked through the bars and saw a tiny dog.

"How cute," said Rin curling up next to it on the other side of the bars.

"You bet I'm cute," said Kenri. "Now hold on and I'll get you out of here."

"Thank you," said Rin politely and Kenri bit off the locks to the door. "But who are you?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know, not yet," said Kenri. "Now hold on." She flew up into the air and picked Rin up by the collar of her kimono.

"Careful!" squeaked Rin, her sleeves rising around her. "I'll fall right out." She took off her outer layer and turned it into a harness. Kerni picked that up and they flew off, twisting up corridors, and out into the kitchen. From there they flew into the dining hall and out a hole in the roof of the castle. The hole was Kenri's little secret from a very young age. Outside on the roof, Kenri turned into her humanoid form with a little pop.

"You," said Rin angrily.

"Shh!" sadi Kenri anxious they would be heard.

The next moment, Kenri and Rin both froze as a demon warrier flew by. The guards would be able to smell the two of them surely, thought Kenri, except that she was used to sneaking around. She pulled out a bottle of perfume oil and splashed it onto both of them.

"Cloud of Obscurity," she said by way of explaination. "It makes us smell like our surroundings wherever we put the perfume on." She poofed back into a small dog demon and flew off with Rin into the forest. Rin scowled, but what choice did she have but to trust her?

In the forest far below, Kenri dropped off Rin. They stood facing each other knowing it was time to call a truce. Rin was still distrustful however.

"How do I know this isn't another trap?" said Rin.

Kenri waved her hand. "It isn't. Would any female bitch, er mother do that to their son? I want to get him back. Believe me," she stressed with desparation. "I never meant for this to happen. I thought that if maybe I got you out of that castle I could keep Lord Sesshomaru for myself. He dotes on you. I know he does. I was jealous. But I wasn't thinking. It never crossed my mind that I would be imprisioning you for life or killing you. I'm sorry," said Kenri. "I'm a very silly girl. You're probably a much smarter girl than me. You've traveled a lot and everything."

"I am smarter," said Rin crossing her arms. "Don't forget it."

"All right, all right," said Kenri. "Now please help me save my son."

Rin looked at her. "You're a dog-demon," she said. "Don't tell me you don't know how to fight."

"Hey!" sadi Kenri defensively. "I never had to do any of that. I had servants to do it for me."

Rin sighed. "Okay then. We need to get to a human village."

"Why?" said Kenri.

"I need some weapons. The only thing I know how to use are arrows."

"Arrows?" sadi Kenri.

"Yeah. I used them to hunt for myself when I was traveling with Lord Sesshomaru. It was when I was older, about ten."

"You've been with him a long time in human years, haven't you?" sadi Kenri softly.

"Yeah," said Rin. "It seems like my whole life." Kenri looked subdued.

"What will you do when you start to get old?" she asked her.

"I don't know," sadi Rin. "I just know that every moment I spend with him is precious. If I could have a son with him,a hanyou perhaps, I could leave a part with him long after I am gone. Then I could die in peace."

"I"m sorry," said Kenri.

"For what?" said Rin.

"Nothing," she said. Kenri turned into an enormous dog and motioned for Rin to climb on board. She did, and they ran along the ground to find some arrows. Then they took off in search of the stronghold of Sesshomaru's rivals. Surprisingly, they were dog demons.


	77. Chapter 77

Rin yawned as they flew across the sea. She was buried in Kenri's enormous mane so she had nearly fallen asleep. The wind whipped by them and the clouds ahead crackled with thunder.

"A storm," said Rin suddenly unnerved.

"Yes," said Kenri. She bounded up higher to try to avoid the thunderheads but realized that Rin could not take the stress, so instead she lowered herself so her feet barely skimmed the sea. "I hope no lightening hits us," said Kenri sensing the air movements.

They watched the waves swell upon the ocean and then the waves grew bigger. Finally, they began to fold themselves out and ran up to break on the shores of a new land. Rin sighed in relief. Still, they were far from her native Japan.

Kenri sniffed the air earnestly. "It's him," she said resolutely. She veered off to the left and flew down the beach to land distant from a castle. Rin cautiously climbed from her back.

"Is he in there?" said Rin.

"Yeah," said Kenri.

"Then we'll get him back," said Rin resolutely. "For Lord Sesshomaru." She strung her arrow and for a moment almost looked like Kagome.

"Wait a second," said Kenri pulling a bottle from her pocket. She sprayed her "cloud of obscurity" on them cloaking them both. They both walked close, examining their situation.

"Can't they sense youkai?" said Rin.

"That's why I wear the cloud of obscurity," replied Kenri.

"Wow. Where can you buy that?" said Rin.

"You can't," said Kenri. "I received it from a priestess at the shrine of a dog god. She told me to be good with it. I guess this counts now."

Rin nodded. Kenri shrunk down to her tiny form and picked up Rin so they could sneak forward. She bounced carefully up the castle walls.

Kenri sniffed around. At the base of the tower, she found a room with a nurse and a little bassinette. "My baby!" she cried reaching down in her human form to take her child. There was a nurse there but she was weak so they locked her in the linen cupboard.

"Shh!" said Rin at the noise they were making but someone had heard them scraping. A demon appeared and he roughly caught Kenri's arm.

"Let go of me!" Kenri cried.

An old sky-runner looked at her sternly. "What brings you here Lady Kenri?" he said.

"Let go of me," demanded Kenri trying to free herself. She couldn't because she was holding a child.

"Impossible," said the old sky dog-demon. "Your father explained this to you."

"No!" wailed Kenri eyes flashing. "Rin get him!"

Rin raised her arrow and shot at the demon. He merely jumped back. It gave Kenri enough time to give Sesshomaru's son to Rin. Then she leapt up on the old demon transforming into a giant dog with teeth. She tore up through the ceiling and dragged him out. Unperturbed, the old demon transformed himself and stood with her jaw to jaw before seizing her and throwing her. Down below the castle, Kenri got up with a limp.

Elsewhere, Seshomaru had found what he was searching for. He couldn't open the tunnel, but he now knew thanks to some family notes where the tunnel had led. His eyes glowed red with a desire for vengeance and thirstily he flexed his claws. Kenri's father would pay. Kenri would pay for this betrayal. He landed on their battlements and let out a low fierce growl.

Back with Rin and Kenri, Rin stared at the enormous dog-demon. She had to get Sesshomaru's child out but she didn't know how. He looked around her and saw the roof all tumbled in, blocking the way to the castle.

There wasn't much she could do except watch the fight, and it was a terrible fight. Kenri kept getting thrown again and again. Finally, she just lay there and untransformed. She raised her head up wearily and wiped the blood from her mouth.

"Foolish girl," said the old demon. "Don't you see? It was a mistake to ever let anyone but a pure sky demon ever be ruler of the dog clan. Inutaisho may have been the Lord of Western Lands, but he should not have been the lord of us. Neither should a part dog-demon have the throne. This is for the best. In time, the clan leadership will return to all that it used to be."

"Bah," said Kenri licking her lips. "You're just jealous you never got to be Leader of the Dog Clan. You were never good enough."

The old demon snarled. He grabbed Kenri and shook her for her insolence but an arrow hit at his feet so he stopped.

"Don't hurt her anymore," said Rin sternly. She had laid Sesshomaru's son down.

"Foolish mortal," said the dog-demon harshly. "You represent the true failing of this clan. Electing leaders who degrade themselves by mating with humans. Tell me. Do you yet have the mark?"

"No," said Rin. "But I soon will."

The leader gave an angry snarl at her impertinence and ran forward. Rin let loose her shot, squeezing her eyes shut. "Please," she said solemnly in prayer. "Please let all my soul be in this shot."

Much to her own shock as well as well as everyone else's, the arrow hit with a blaze of blue light. A vast amount of energy burned into the dog demon who was after all rather old and wimpy. It tore enough of him away that he staggered up with a fatal blow.

"You," he said. Kenri finished him off with her teeth.

Rin got back on Kenri's tangled mane and held Sesshomaru's son in her arms as they flew across the sea. At long last, they flew over Japan. They were on their way back to Sesshomaru's castle when they met him in the air. They landed on the ground without having to say anything about it.

"Kenri," said Sesshomaru his eyes flashing. He smelled like blood and fire.

"My father?" said Kenri.

"Dead," said Sesshomaru.

Kenri shook her head discoordinated. "That's all right then," said she. Sesshomaru looked at her.

"He betrayed me," said Kenri," and I was very foolish for my part. But Rin came with me. She saved our son."

Sesshomaru said not a word for a while, but then he turned his back walking away. Kenri stopped him.

"Rin is okay, for a mortal. I would not mind it if you put her over me." Rin caught her breath.

"What do you mean by that," said Sesshomaru not turning around.

"Do not pass up on love where you can find it," said Kenri, "when hearts are big enough to share. This is the wisdom among females in a pack."

Sesshomaru stood there scowling still not turning. "I don't let anyone tell me what to do," he said.

"Rin," he said turning around. "I'm asking you now. Do you want me to return you to the humans?" Rin was shocked by the harsh tone in his voice.

"No," she said desperately breaking into tears.

"Then will you stay?" he said more softly.

"Yes my lord," said Rin drying her eyes.

"Then I have decided," said Sesshomaru. "I will follow my father's ways. Rin," he said reaching out a hand. "We have so little time left together."

"I will treasure it forever," stammered Rin.

"As will I," said Sesshomaru. Kenri smiled, happy for the both of them.


	78. Chapter 78

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Also, I really must put my foot down. No reviews, I no write! Of course, I say this knowing that you all may hate me after this chapter. But then again I've already tried your patience several times before so if you've made it this far you must be relatively forgiving.

Years of unbroken peace continued, allowing Inuyasha's family to flourish. So it came to pass that time itself became the greatest enemy. The question of mortality versus immortality, human versus demon came to afflict their life in a really real way. Unfortunately, it was Aijo whom suffered the most for the intricacies of his quarter demon heritage for Aijo, like Yasuo, had been born between a human and half-demon. As such, all traces of immortality forsook the child born between a love eternal.

Deep in the heart of Inuyasha's forest, the ground exploded with a boom. Debris floated through the air in little speckles and larger chunks as Aijo flipped downwards seeming to float midair like a dove as his robes caught against the wind. He landed on the earth neatly with his feet together in a perfect stance, sword held poised. Over the years, the son of Inuyasha had learned well every lesson his father had taught him.

Aijo looked to the side as the air around him lit up with spires of flames. He easily dodged the blue twisters. Bounding off several trees, he landed sword to throat against a young kitsune. Aijo stared down at his little brother Shippo. The disparities in the dealings of time was obvious to his eyes. Shippo's form had refused to age. He was more or less the same as Aijo had ever remembered him. What Aijo himself saw in the mirror these days, or trembling across the surface of the water was nothing short of a nightmare. The leaves stirred between them seeming to sense the disquiet in Aijo's heart.

A teenager of seventeen backed off and sent a toothy smile to his supposedly elder brother Shippo. The kitsune sat up and brushed off the dust from his vest.

"You're getting good Aijo," said Shippo approvingly. "I can't even scratch you anymore."

Aijo smiled. "Sure. Now let's go into town. Mimi is waiting for you." He grinned. Shippo flicked his tail.

"You have your own woman remember? Or should I say women." Aijo shrugged. Was it his fault he was so popular? When it came to brute strength, he was nearly as strong as his father. He was also quite the charmer if he wanted to be. Miroku's influence had seen to that.

Shippo and Aijo strolled into town with their hands in their pockets trying to look cool. As soon as they reached the outskirts of the village, a pool of girls began to gather around the part youkai celebrity. A young girl sidled timidly up to Shippo whom greeted her kindly. Meanwhile, Aijo grinned innocently at one of the girls in particular and invoked jealousy when he snaked a hand round the back of one of them.

"Hi," he said suavely. The girl giggled while others frowned.

"Maybe you and all your friends feel like swimming today." All the girls giggled mischievously. He knew the girls liked the tease.

"I can't," said Himiko woefully. "My mother needs help in the rice field today." Aijo nodded.

"Maybe I can help you two out," he said with open generosity, proving once again there was quite the difference between him and his father. He had all the confidence and popularity which Inuyasha lacked and Kagome's smile.

Soon afterwards Aijo was found wading out into murky waters of the rice paddy field. As soon as his shirt got wet, he became aware of a symphony of giggles coming from near the shoreline. Himiko and a few spies were ogling his well-muscled chest, now clearly visible because of his plastered shirt. Aijo grinned. On his part, he knew these village girls to be innocent and blissfully simple. He could certainly afford to give them a show.

The afternoon passed by in a lazy slowness. As was custom, when the afternoon had progressed to lateness Shippo and Aijo both shook off all company to meet at their favorite spot. It was their own little bachelor club. Yasuo was, mostly from disinterest, excluded. Besides he was hardly a bachelor. He was forever hanging about in the Modern Era with that bubblegum-pink haired girl. Aijo found her a little creepy. So, stripping his clothes off, Aijo leapt into the waters of their own private hotspring some thirty miles away from Kaede's village. The spot was far out enough to be private and unused by anyone but Shippo and himself. For this Aijo was grateful. He really needed time to think for himself. He could put up with Shippo's poutful whines but he really did not want to deal with anyone else. Floating right side up and folding his arms across his chest so that he bobbed like a cork in the water, Aijo stared up into the leafy sky. So peaceful. So calm and quieting. It was exactly what he needed to calm the secret roils of his own heart. After a while Aijo could sense Shippo staring at him curiously from the sidebanks so he decided it was time to say something.

"I don't know Shippo," said Aijo leaning back to sink deep into the water. For a while he merely watched his hair dip out along the surface. But then, as it became sodden so he shook it out manfully like a wet dog.

"Don't know what?" asked Shippo curiously chewing on a straw. He had picked up the habit of picking through his teeth. Aijo stared back at his little brother, unable to answer. Unable to voice the difficulty which affronted him more and more everyday.

He was mortal. The unfairness of it all ate at Aijo. He aged rapidly while those around him did not. His father did not. His mother did not. His elder brother Shippo and Uruwashii did not. Kilala, Myoga, and Hodgi did not. Even Sumire for she was born of two half-demons making her a half-demon as well. But he was cursed. He was merely a quarter demon.

Secretly, Aijo bewailed his fate. He hated how time would take everything dear to him away. He abhorred how weak he was as compared to his magical, mystical father. He knew now that their paths could never be the same. Aijo swore at the betraying frailty of himself. What more had ever wanted, as a child, than to be just like his father? Yet now, when Aijo had grown up at last fate had thrown its cruel joke in his face. The quarter demon realized he would watch, withering and fading while his father remained in an untainted glory. Aijo would die, and his own father would bury him. The great hanyou Inuyasha would light incense for the son whom was no more than a flower in the wind to him.

Growing up, Aijo had known that his father had cared for him. Cherished him. Was proud of him. Yet now, Aijo secretly wished that his father had hated him. It would serve to dullen the aching pain inside him, the raw agony which expectance had left him with. It was as if Aijo was suffering with cancer, his health gradually declining. He found himself watching from the sidelines while those he loved most struggled both with their continuing love for him and the preparations to seal their heart away from him for the moment when, ultimately, he would die. It split him inside, to see that there was no place for him in their future. He would only be a remembrance, a shadow to lap against the corners of their existence.

Looking at Shippo, Aijo could see it happening already. The kitsune was fine without him. Sure Shippo valued him. They were best of friends and best of brothers. Yet that fact made it all the harder to bear. How could they have let themselves get so attached, to show him so much kindness if they knew of his transient fate?

Aijo's one consolation was Miroku and Sango. In part, they understood his pain. They were weak mortals just as he was and would die just as he would. Already his heart hoped that someday, his tombstone might be added to theirs so that in some fashion, he would be able to remain amongst those he cherished as family. He felt so exiled from them already. So it was that Aijo spent much of his time at Miroku and Sango's hut. It hurt him less, far less, to see Sango's agelines as they trekked across her face, being lit up by firelight as she stirred tonight's soup. It hurt more, infinitely more, to see the absence of time on his mother's own face as she did the same.

"Mama," Aijo muttered to himself for a moment, inside his own head. He was far too old these days to acknowledge out loud that he harbored such a feeling yet there it was. Kagome was still his mother. Still the woman whom leant over him with a warm smile on her face to offer him cookies she had made herself. She was still the woman he ran too after he had an unsolvable argument with his father. She was still everyone and everything he had ever hoped to be a son of. With a silent, selfish hope Aijo almost wished that his mother had never been given dog-ears. That way she too, would have continued being mortal. That way, she too would have been there for him looking down from the heavens rather than the other way around. Not that he ever wanted her to die. No, never. But in a sense he would have been able to keep one of them as his parents. At least for a little longer.

It was a sad fact of life that Aijo was now more or less, as developmentally as old as his father. In fact, he was an uncanny vision of his father on the night of the new moon. There were no more tales to be heard, no more lessons to teach. In fact Aijo frequently fought at the urge to admonish him, HIM, the father he had revered more than any other. Only to realize his many faults. The same faults he himself was lacking. True, Inuyasha managed to uphold a code of honor which Aijo felt slipping away in importance to him. Aijo did indeed admire his father for this steadfast refusal to rewrite his ethics. At the same time it caused Aijo to curse himself. It made his father look like an angel, while he, the wretched faithless mortal, was the sinner. There were many things in his life that Aijo prayed his father would never find out about. This was all too much to bear. So much, too much that Aijo could feel his heart beginning to break beneath the cracking weight of his burdens. Yet he let no word slip to Shippo or anyone else about his problems. In a way, Aijo was very much like his father in that he would never willingly confess what and how he truly felt.

This much was certain. Over the seventeen years of his life he had become a relatively modern teenager. At last Aijo thought of something he could say to Shippo to explain the unbroken stillness that yawned in their conversation. Picking up a bar of soap, Aijo began to lather his chest. Lying back, he allowed the water to wash across his chest. The action exposed an article condemning his modernity. Aijo had never been able to get a tattoo to stay but he had managed to get his right ear pierced, with great difficulty.

"The girls, Shippo," began Aijo, misleading about what he had been thinking about. "So many girls everywhere. How is one supposed to choose?"

"Even in the Modern Era?" Aijo grimaced. Especially there. His mind brought to him mental images of people gyrating, neon lights flashing while music blared uncomfortably. There was the smell of sweat and heated bodies. Aijo could relive the feel of warm perspiration trickling onto him while he tasted the moist cavern of a woman's lips, all whilst a hand was sneaking its way down to where who can say whether it had any business being there.

"Yeah," said Aijo thoughtfully. He looked at Shippo from the corner of his eyes like he was hiding something. He was glad the kitsune didn't press the issue. Shippo watched him with some suspicion.

Aijo got up and pulled his robes onto himself. He began to walk into the woods with his head bowed. Shippo ran to catch up and they began to speed towards the village. For some reason unfathomable to Shippo, the quarter demon only ran faster so that Shippo was forced to leap onto his shoulder in order to not be left behind. Aijo accepted his presence with a tired acknowledgement. The two brothers flew over the landscape so quickly they were like a blur, Aijo's footsteps beating out in a constant roll along the ground. Then they slowed near their family's hut. Along the fencepost, almost predictably, a row of village girls were perched.

"Hey boys," one of the older ones said smiling flirtatiously. "Fancy meeting you here." They all laughed.

Aijo smiled and leaned over the fence rail. "Hey girls, is there something you would like to ask me?" His only reply was a delectable giggle.

"Yeah," said one of the girls kicking her feet. "Would you like to…"

But she was interrupted by a voice calling from the front of the house. "Oi! Aijo!" shouted a man's voice with authority. It spoke with the volumes of a father. Yet it was almost as young as Aijo's. Aijo turned around to see Inuyasha glaring at him with displeasure. An awkwardness hung in the air between them.

"Otosan," said Aijo respectfully. The air stilled as all movements halted. The girls stopped kicking their feet and sat upright.

Inuyasha paused feeling the tension. "Damn it, why do things have to be this way?" he thought. Then he spoke out loud forcefully. "What are you doing?" He eyed the girls suspiciously.

"Just talking Otosan," said Aijo stiffly at his unspoken accusation. A great distance rolled between them. There was nothing to say. There nothing he could say and both of them felt this keenly.

Aijo leaned away from the fence and began walking to the house. He joined Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, and his little brother Yasuo for a silent dinner. Afterwards, Aijo pushed through the door and walked quickly off into the forest. Inuyasha's younger son had a much quieter demeanor. Yasuo scribbled notes while reading scrolls by an oil-lit lamp. Shippo curled up in the corner like a plush toy with Uruwashii nearby. Sumire slept in her basket cradle. Inuyasha leaned near Kagome's shoulder as she stacked dishes and murmured in her ear.

"Damn it," he cursed lightly. "That kid's wandered away again."

"He's only gone to Sango and Miroku's," said Kagome mildly. She twitched her demon tail but her ears were laid back sadly. "He asked me about it earlier. It's the new moon tonight."

"Yeah," said Inuyasha with an edge of woe to his voice. He looked over at Kagome's vanity mirror tacked up on the wall.

"I can't help but feel like I'm looking at myself when I look at Aijo sometimes, especially on the night of the new moon," he mused silently to himself. He walked over to the mirror and studied his features. No age. There was hardly any aging that had gone on for him in the last sixteen years since Aijo had been born. The same went for Shippo and Kagome whom was now a hanyou like him. Regarding Aijo however, time had altered him greatly. In the last sixteen years he had become a well-built, ill-tempered teenager. This was something Inuyasha simply was not able to handle. Aijo was supposed to be his son, yet soon he was going to surpass him in age. Where was the partial immortality that damned dog goddess had promised? With a disgruntled curse, Inuyasha desperately hoped it would kick in soon.

Kagome sighed in the kitchen. She seemed to understand what Inuyasha was fussing about because she came over to him. She looked in his eyes and he took her arms on reflex. "I know," she said quietly. "It's hard for me too."

Inuyasha gently kissed her ear and Kagome led him gently by hand to their queen-sized mattress. Kagome had not been able to resist modernizing their furnishings. Similarly, they had partitioned their hut into two permanent rooms so that Momma and Papa could have some privacy. They sat next to each other on the comforter and Kagome leaned back against him. She pulled out a hairbrush and began to stroke through his long hair. After a while, Inuyasha caught the brush and began grooming her instead. Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder and relaxed. She opened her eyes.

"Inuyasha, what are we going to do?" she asked quietly.

"Nothing else we can do," said Inuyasha evenly. "He is his own man. There's nothing much we can do for him anymore." Kagome nodded woefully. She turned around and lay her head against his chest.

"Inuyasha, comfort me," she pleaded. Pangs of his own sorrow flooded through him, so he accepted her kiss, wrapping arms protectively around her. Kagome snuggled against Inuyasha, curled within the folds of his red robes and warm within his embrace. She sighed again, but this time with contentment. At Kagome's sigh, they both chanced to glance at each other. Their noses touched. Their demon ears touched too, and Kagome turned away blushing at her clumsiness. Drawn to her all the more by this simple act, Inuyasha took her face in his hand and kissed her tenderly. Then they curled up next to each other, mate by mate while Kagome's dog tail swished slowly. Inuyasha flicked an ear every now and then before it vanished. This was the night of the new moon after all.

It was a moment of peace. Then the sudden crash of the rolling of pots interrupted their rest. The sound of sincere confrontation echoed out and the two lovers vaulted from their room to find Yasuo versus Uruwashii. She had her arms crossed and her hip pointed out jauntily. He was reaching down for his papers with a coldness reminiscent of Sesshomaru's.

"Can you get off my notes?" Yasuo made a forceful demand to the female kitsune. With a huff, she picked up her foot so he might lift several sheets of paper from the floor. He dashed away to find his inkpot rolled into the corner.

"Really, Uruwashii," Yasuo said scathingly. "You would think that by now and at your age you would have learned to behave better amongst us." She shrugged, her arms still folded unrepentantly.

"It's not my fault Kagome-chan had everything stacked like that."

"Mother always does," Yasuo seethed.

"So what? The shelf was flimsy."

"You tipped it over on purpose! Besides that, who was it that dropped Kilala down the well?"

"She flew out didn't she? It's not like she was in any danger." said Kiku with her hands on her waist and a large bow tie unraveling in her hair.

"And then there was that paint incident! Half the village will be in need of some white wash or something. K + U? You're intensely juvenile." Inuyasha quirked his eyebrow at this new piece of information.

"You're no fun at all," pouted Kiku. "Besides, it's something only my sweet little Kohaku and I would understand not a prude like you."

"Tell that to Kiku," he dared her, eyes flashing. Not that either demoness could pass through the well.

Inuyasha might have had to step in-between the unraveling conflict except that Miroku and Sango miraculously appeared at the door followed by their son Kohaku. They brought with them a calming rain and a restoration of Uruwashii's smiles. She stood there abashedly fearful lest the younger Kohaku find out what she had done. It was after all very juvenile. Yet traditionally kitsune-like. Inuyasha meanwhile immediately picked up on the absence of Aijo from amongst them.

"He was supposed to be at your house," Inuyasha said sullenly. "What happened to that damn kid?"

"He stopped by," shrugged Miroku. "Then he decided to jump down the well and visit his grandmother instead."

"I see," said Inuyasha lighting a lamp as the evening descended around them.

"Don't worry about it," said Miroku. "You only just changed into your human form. Aijo left several hours before. He had plenty of time to make it down the well." Inuyasha only looked at him sourly and Miroku felt for the poor guy. Kagome listened in on their conversation but had nothing to add. She was very concerned herself.

"You know, Aijo has been wandering off to my time a lot lately. You don't think Aijo's getting into any bad stuff," she said finally twiddling her thumbs.

"What do you mean 'bad stuff'?" asked Inuyasha tensely.

"Urm. Well nothing really. It's just that he's in my time you know. There are lots of things he could be doing although it's nothing really that isn't in this time."

"You mean drugs, or alcohol, or prostitutes Kagome?" asked Miroku far too blatantly.

"Miroku!" shouted Sango wrathfully smacking him on the head. Inuyasha blanched.

"Hell no!" shouted Inuyasha. "Shut your mouth monk, there's no way a son of mine would do anything like that!"

"I wouldn't either," said Kohaku pointing to himself.

"How disappointing," said Miroku quietly.

"What did you say!?" said Sango ominously.

"Oh, did I say that out loud, I mean I said nothing, nothing at all, ha-ha-ha-ha," said Miroku trying to weasel his way out of it. Sango clunked him on the head.

"Yeah, well say that line again, monk, and I'll rip you to shreds," said Inuyasha eyes glittering dangerously. He immediately calmed down in defeat. He did, after all, have no way of knowing whether or not his accusations were true. Not without spying and Inuyasha refused to stoop to that level. He would stand by his statement to let Aijo make decisions for himself.

Kagome shook her head from side to side at their antics. She opened a cupboard instead of provoking the conversation further.

"Here," Kagome announced with a bright smile lighting up her features. "I know what you are all here for!"

"Ningen food!" said Shippo immediately from where he had only been pretending to take a nap for the last five minutes. He scampered eagerly forward and reached for a box of pocky.

"Ah, indeed you read my mind," said Miroku as she handed him a can of grape soda. Sango meanwhile accepted a bag of peanut m-n-ms to share with her triplets. With a smile of gratitude for the working well and the family that surrounded her, Kagome heated up some ramen for Inuyasha. It had always been this way since they had settled permanently in the village. Once a week Miroku, Sango, and their children would come over to join her own household for a night of laughter and copious junk food. It like a holdover from the old days when they had first learned to so value each other. Now it was their version of family time. Or, as Myoga might have called it, pack-bonding time. It was only too bad Aijo was not with them.

So they laughed and enjoyed themselves late into the night. Inuyasha didn't mind. It was the night of the new moon after all so the more people around him, the better. Still, he worried about Aijo. The possibility of jumping down the well after him floated across his mind from time to time but he shook it out. He would just have to trust the kid to take care of himself, he reasoned. No need to get anxious like Kagome.

Far away across the well and under the glow of lights, Aijo rattled a drink of whisky on rocks. He slugged some down and looked at his companion. The noise of a nightclub roared above them.

"Hey," Aijo's companion said. "Ready to get out of here? We have other things we could be doing."

"Too true," said Aijo finishing his drink.

"Don't forget school starts tomorrow," said his female companion.

"That's why we're celebrating," said Aijo.

"Do you love me?" his companion asked suddenly. Aijo started.

"Do you love me?" repeated the earnest voice of a young woman.

"Er, yeah sure," muttered Aijo. The truth was, he hadn't really thought about it. Suddenly the absence of sound and feeling overwhelmed his ears.

Love? Is that what this girl had been expecting? The vision of his father holding his mother came before him with the size and presence of an Imax theater. What was love that it might belong to her? Love belonged to his parents. He himself had never felt it. Aijo stared at the form of his classmate along the bar table. A smoky haze consumed her. He could not hear her speaking. It was like he was drowning in despair, misery, and most of all uncertainty. Love?

The word formed tonelessly on his lips and his companion looked at him curiously. Yet Aijo could not see it. Instead he felt himself forcing himself upwards.

"I'll see you later," he shrugged off before throwing a wadfull of money down onto the counter. He knew it was too much but it didn't matter. Instead, he felt himself forcing through the crowd so that it parted around him like the sea. At the far end, a small door stood welcoming with its red glowing letters. Aijo pressed the door open and exited, feeling his lungs fill suddenly with the exhilarating scent of the night air free from many of the stalities. He wandered off, staring up into the streetlamps like they were the celestial lights of the heavens. Aijo suddenly felt himself begin to get very dizzy, and he pressed a hand to his temple.

"Damn," Aijo mumbled. Fumbling with his coat catch, he withdrew a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Aijo knew his mother would have his father flog him if she saw what he was doing but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Only the stillness of the night washing down as he stood poised on the sidewalk. Taking a drag of his Marlboro, he sighed.

He had to get away from here. With this in mind, Aijo began walking, almost aimlessly. He found his feet wandering as he swayed quietly along underneath the glow of the moon. A line of red car lights streaked beneath him as he walked up the girder of a steel bridge, letting the night air waft through his hair. The steel cable was free of passerbys so he was alone and he liked it that way. He really had to think.

"Damn," said Aijo petulantly, reflecting on his choices. "My life would go to hell if any of my family found out." Pensively, he watched smoke drift from the smokestacks far off on the horizon and he sat down to lean back against a bridge support. He dug another cigarette out from his pocket and lit it up with the help of a lighter. The quarter demon looked down on himself dismally.

"So this is the mighty Aijo," he said cheerlessly. He took a puff of smoke and let it out to wend with the night air. Then, he stood up to stand with his hands in his pockets.

"What the hell is wrong with me anyway?" Aijo asked himself. Irately, he grabbed the partially smoked butt from his mouth and flung it into the water below. The faint red was quickly absolved in the blackness. Aijo watched with silence and then shuffled off into the night. Somehow, he knew before he knew exactly where he was going.

Several miles outside the city, Aijo hopped over a fence and leapt up onto an empty guardhouse roof. The area smelled sharply of bones and the decay of moss. Rainwater from a recent outburst sheeted so that the stones smelled too, of ions finding solution so that the earth itself wore down. Somehow, irrevocably, his feet had found their way to the graves of his parents once again. Hurtfully, there was no trace of his own grave near them. Fixated with the concept of death, Aijo settled back on the rooftop so that he might gaze at the stars not consumed by the glare of Tokyo.

"Five hundred years huh?" said Aijo as moodily as his father might have. "And only two hundred years for me. That is if I'm lucky." Aijo looked at his outstretched arm and clenched his hand into a fist.

"Damn," he said smashing his fist through the roof, removing a few shingles and making a large hole. "It's not so much as that as… I'm gonna be older than my old man soon," Aijo said. He put his hands behind his head and flopped back onto the guardhouse roof so that he could look up at the stars again. Though not as clear as those in the Sengoku Jidai, they were still there. That seemed to be a problem for Aijo too.

"Everything outlives me," he muttered, "or I don't live short enough. It might be easier for me if I was a damn, ordinary human."

The irony of this statement was not lost on him. Here, he was, the mortal son of a notorious supernatural being. Yet one whom had, at one point in time, wished for the same thing. To become a human for Kikyo. Aijo had heard the story. The tales and triumphs of his father had spread amongst the demons long ago. Most of all, Sango and Miroku cherished to tell the tale with their own lips. So he knew, sadly, a little of what his father and mother had gone through to be together. He knew also that Inuyasha had almost ended up being human.

Wouldn't it have been better that way? If only, before his mother and father had gotten together, they had used the jewel to turn Inuyasha into a human or Kagome into a hanyou. Then the son of Inuyasha, whomever he was, would not have to worry about the things Aijo did. Like saying goodbye when he had hardly had the chance to say hello. No, his family would have been complete, aging together until they all disappeared into the streams of time.

Aijo lay there stewing for a long time. At long last the wrath subsided. The quarter demon rolled over onto his side. It looked like he was going to have to sleep here. His head hurt terribly and he really didn't feel like going over to Higurashi Shrine. It wasn't too bad there. His Uncle and grandmother always treated him well and pretty much left him alone. But he feared giving anyone a tip off to his more controversial activities. He would just have to make up some excuse for tonight's disappearance. Even in this world there were plenty of things that could attack him. Maybe he could say a bus ran over him or something.

As Aijo lay there thinking, a glint of metal reflecting against the dim lights caught his eye. It was that locket again. Guiltily, Aijo walked towards it before reverently flicking it open.

"Eternal love," he muttered dropping the locket quickly. He almost lit up another cigarette but thought better of it. Not here. Not so close to them.

Still, he was left running the night fields of his mind to muse the concept that intrigued him most. "What is love?" Aijo asked himself. "Will I ever, truly, find a love like my mother and father have? How can I?" Without realizing, his heart had desperately stretched for that which he had seen everyday and his heart languished in envy. Perhaps it would not have been so bad to be mortal if only he had found a woman to cherish as much as his father did his mother. Perhaps, Aijo mused, it was time he found his own Kikyo. The problem was, where and in what time period would he find her?

Back in the Sengoku Jidai, every one woke up during the late morning. It was almost noon before Kagome rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, picked up her thrice-chewed alarm clock and said, "Oh-my-gosh kids you're late for school!" After that, she shooed Miroku, Sango, and her children out of the hut while she threw together a lunch for Aijo and Yasuo. She bundled together her daughter for Inuyasha to carry. Aijo was nowhere in sight so they departed. Kagome, who was now hanyou ran alongside Inuyasha. Yasuo ran along behind taking everything calmly as usual.

Four members of the family of Inuyasha popped out of the well at the Higurashi Shrine. Kagome's mother was sweeping the courtyard.

"Mama," said Kagome cheerfully.

"Kagome!" said her mother smiling. "So good to see you!" She had gotten used to the tail long ago.

"Thanks Mama," said Kagome. "Have you seen Aijo lately?"

"Yes of course dear," said Mrs. Higurashi. "He's gone to school already." She did not think to mention that the boy had shown up at the pre-dawn hours of the morning.

Kagome was relieved. "Thanks Mama," she said gratefully. She looked over at Inuyasha and he nodded his head with a little less suspicion.

"Won't you come in dear?" said Mrs. Higurashi kindly.

"No thanks Mom," said Kagome. "Maybe later. Right now, I have some grocery shopping to do."

"I understand dear," said Mrs. Higurashi with an all-knowing smile. As Inuyasha, Kagome, and one son and daughter disappeared from sight Mrs. Higurashi waved. When they had gone, she sighed and her face lit up with a wistful smile. "That's just the way the world goes round," said Mrs. Higurashi sagely. She returned to her sweeping. Both new leaves of spring and old ones of fall were caught up in the straw. Mrs. Higurashi removed one of the large, brown leaves caught in her broom. She held it up to her eye and let it rustle in the wind. "Whether leaves or people," she said solemnly, "we all live our course." The wind caught the leaf and carried it away past the bows of Goshinoboku.

Author Notes: Okay, this chapter really shouldn't stop here but I can't fit it all in one chapter, jeesh! Hint, Aijo ends up in the past.


	79. Chapter 79

Disclaimer: Don't won Inuyasha.

Recap: Kagome's mother was sweeping the courtyard.

"Mama," said Kagome cheerfully.

"Kagome!" said her mother smiling. "So good to see you!" She had gotten used to the tail long ago.

"Thanks Mama," said Kagome. "Have you seen Aijo lately?"

"Yes of course dear," said Mrs. Higurashi. "He's gone to school already." She did not think to mention that the boy had shown up at the pre-dawn hours of the morning.

Kagome was relieved. "Thanks Mama," she said gratefully. She looked over at Inuyasha and he nodded his head with a little less suspicion.

"Won't you come in dear?" said Mrs. Higurashi kindly.

"No thanks Mom," said Kagome. "Maybe later. Right now, I have some grocery shopping to do."

"I understand dear," said Mrs. Higurashi with an all-knowing smile. As Inuyasha, Kagome, and one son and daughter disappeared from sight Mrs. Higurashi waved. When they had gone, she sighed and her face lit up with a wistful smile. "That's just the way the world goes round," said Mrs. Higurashi sagely. She returned to her sweeping. Both new leaves of spring and old ones of fall were caught up in the straw. Mrs. Higurashi removed one of the large, brown leaves caught in her broom. She held it up to her eye and let it rustle in the wind. "Whether leaves or people," she said solemnly, "we all live our course." The wind caught the leaf and carried it away past the bows of Goshinoboku. End Recap.

This part of the story is always hard for me to tell since it concerns the turmoil between two brothers and their father. As I live interminable, I swear that day was one of my hardest as a protecting goddess to the house of Inuyasha, Inutaisho, and last but certainly not least, my soon to be father-in-law Sesshomaru.

Yasuo parted from his parents, Inuyasha and Kagome, at the edge of the school grounds. Embarrassingly, they had clung to his company onto the very last. It was understandable. They were doting parents after all. Yet, Yasuo was old enough so that his mind was not focused solely on their affections. Indeed, his mind tended less and less towards that direction these days. There were so many other things to consume his mind such as preparatory schoolwork to get into Tokyo University, his girlfriend/ spy partner Kiku, and most importantly for today the computer lab research he should be doing. It was so trying to be stuck back in the Warring States Era where there were no Internet connections. Not when you could be hacking into things for Sesshomaru's benefit.

Still, one other problem floated across Yasuo's mind repetitively. Time and time again a ponderance, a faint accusation of his brother's whereabouts plagued him. Kiku would know where Aijo had been last night certainly. Yet out of respect for his brother's pride Yasuo was hesitant to ask.

Finally, after a half-quarter day of school and no sign of Aijo, Yasuo had had enough. He flipped open his cellphone and dialed a number to let him access a secret phone network. Then, with a few more clicks he heard the phone ringing against his ear. A pleasurably flippant voice accompanied by a sprightly, sensual tune prompted him to leave a message. Yasuo shouted into the phone to pick up.

"Well hello," said Kiku coming from the other side. "It's lunch hour. Have you finally decided to let my hands run over you?"

"That's called sexual harassment," he growled at Kiku in amusement.

"Not any more it isn't. You're old enough."

"It doesn't bother you I'm mortal?"

"Why would it? Besides, you could always give me a bit of your soul."

"I'll think about it," said Yasuo as a polite way of saying no. "But I warn you I don't find the life of a mortal all that bad."

"Hmn?" said Kiku sucking her lip. "So what did you call me about?"

"It's Aijo. Do you happen to know where he's been hiding?" The line paused.

"We have information about all that," said Kiku coldly. "But are you sure you want to know?" Yasuo thought about it.

"I do," he stated with more certainly than he felt.

"Well, since it's you I'll tell you about it. The important crux of the matter is that he went out with an old friend of his."

"The curvaliscious kind right?"

"And not too shabby at her work either." Yasuo kneaded his head.

"Tell me, was he drinking again?"

"Undoubtably sugar. Are you unhappy about that?"

"I'm just worried about what's wrong with him. It's like he's always sulking," Yasuo admitted mildly, a touch of worry in his tone.

"I think you're right on that one darling. Signs of withdrawal are signs of change after all."

"He didn't even come to our family gathering last night. It's not the first time but it's like he's avoiding us. At first I thought he needed his space but now I'm not so sure."

"Why's that?'

"Everything. Tell me, does that lazy brother of mine expect me to cover for him again? It's not like he can afford another grade suspension."

"Actually, I got the gist that he was willing to drop out."

"WHAT?!!"

Yasuo was having a bad day. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome returned to the Sengoku Jidai. After arranging a babysitter for Sumire, the couple anticipated a perfectly peaceful afternoon free of wailing children, explosive arguments, sickness, stupid accidents, or people throwing weapons at each other. Also since the children were out of the house, they were free to engage in indulgences. The first of these was unlocking a box full of expensive treats that Kagome kept hidden away from everyone except herself and unfortunately Inuyasha whom had found out about it early on in their marriage. A second indulgence they planned for themselves was to go to a hotspring not too far away from Aijo's pool. There they could relax and have a picnic maybe leading to something more.

It was a quiet morning and the two hanyous ran side by side in the hot sunshine. They dove into the shadows and around them the woods blurred. As it stood, Kagome was suffering from a bad case of wrong-side-of-the-bed. Inuyasha was blissfully happy at the opportunity to tease.

"Come on Kagome," complained Inuyasha, annoying her. "Surely you can go faster than that."

"Shut up mister," Kagome snapped. Inuyasha grinned at her wickedly.

"So maybe you can't keep up," he said boastfully. He took a playful swipe at Kagome's heels and then ran ahead challenging her.

"I'll get you," said Kagome wrathfully.

"I wouldn't count on it," Inuyasha mocked. Kagome sped up. After coming close to him several times only for him to weave away, she came up with plan. She slowed her pace and waited until he dropped back. She then bolted pouncing on him with her claws outstretched.

"Yow! Crazy woman!" said Inuyasha as he rolled over and pinned her to the ground. "What are you thinking?" Kagome only blinked her eyes. She pulled free and brushed herself off.

"Fine. Be that way," she said solemnly. "Sit boy."

"Yow! Kagome!" the poor hanyou cried, the collar working as well as ever.

"Catch up Inuyasha!" said Kagome running off ahead. Inuyasha could only twitch his claws in frustration from his hole.

"Damn that woman cheats," he muttered into the soil.

"Well it is all your fault for provoking her," said Shippo popping up from out of nowhere.

"It is not," said Inuyasha wrathfully sitting up. "Wait a minute, what are you doing here!?!" Shippo ran for cover only to be caught up by the tail and promptly clunked.

"Ow, you big bully!" said Shippo holding onto his head.

"That's Otosan to you," said Inuyasha.

"Don't remind me," said Shippo sourly.

"Why you!" said Inuyasha as Shippo pulled free and began to sprint away. Inuyasha gave chase and they ran around in circles as they had in their first days so long ago. It seems they hadn't grown up very much in eighteen years. Kagome showed up beside them.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked Inuyasha curiously, "and what is Shippo doing here?"

"No idea," said Inuyasha dryly. "Why don't you tell me?" He glared at the little kitsune.

Shippo began to look very nervous. "Heh-heh, well it's not too far from the village," Shippo said. "I'll just see myself back. Bye!"

"Hmn," said Inuyasha narrowing his eyes as the kitsune flew away on his flying horse. "I get the feeling we were conned, wait a minute!" He ripped open Kagome's knapsack which he had been carrying and found an empty tin box.

"That sneaky little bandit!" raged Inuyasha. "He's in for it when I get home!"

"Sure," said Kagome wearily.

Since Shippo had eaten all their food, Kagome and Inuyasha skipped right to the hot spring. They had just settled down into the water relaxing when the earth around them began to shake.

"What was that?" said Kagome freaked out and holding onto a boulder. Her claws left scratches in the face of the stone.

Inuyasha splashed over to Kagome and picked her up. "This is just plain merciless," he complained.

"That's the life of being a parent," said Kagome glumly. "I still have teethmarks from Aijo on me." Inuyasha had no reply but he watched her expression.

The ground began trembling around them again so they leapt out of the water. Before they could dress a glowing figure materialized.

"Well, well," I, the dog goddess, spoke while dangling my feet from the tree "Should I come back later?" I watched as the two hanyous flushed and threw a blanket over themselves for modesty. Inuyasha-kun really does look cute with that livid face of his. Not to mention that butt.

"You!" Inuyasha snarled. "You couldn't wait another five minutes!"

"No," I said yawning and looking at him with one eye open. "I couldn't. Schedule you know. If you hadn't been goofing around getting here… no matter. I have a message for you." I looked at them both seriously. The tone I delivered my next words in gave myself goosebumps and shivers.

"Return to the summit of this mountain tonight when the sun has set. Bring your children with you. Aijo is seventeen is he not?"

"Yeah," said Inuyasha defensively.

"Good," I said returning to my usual glee. "I will bestow on him my gift of partial immortality. You should be relieved Inuyasha."

I stood, brushing myself off merely for show as I prepared to make my glorious exit. I hadn't had my fill of fun yet however, or messages. It wasn't often that I was able to get out of the shrine.

"By the way," I said frowning while I leant against the tree bark with one hand. "Your family certainly does keep secrets from each other." I held up a gourmet chocolate bar Kagome had been saving and crunched into it. For demonstration purposes of course. "Blah," I exclaimed loudly. "They're right. Chocolate is not for dogs." I threw it away.

"How did you get that?" Kagome asked curiously.

"That does not matter," I said inadmissibly. "What matters is that you keep an eye on your children's secrets." The two looked at each other completely befuddled. I knew they would be and I knew the most important secrets were safe.

"By the way," I said eyes twinkling before disappearing. "You two make such a cute couple."

I vanished then or at least I seemed to. For I am a god and can be everywhere I need to be. The two stood by the edge of the water lost in their thoughts. Then they turned to each other.

"Should we get back in?" Kagome asked softly after a while.

"No," said Inuyasha huffily. "You and I always have later to be together." He said it in as gentle as a tone as he could manage. Kagome's smile returned like a rain of sunshine.

Contrary to his parents' believe, Aijo had not shown up to school on time. Instead, he had continued to wallow in a bout of self-pity. For no better reason than to not go to school, Aijo decided to make up with the girl he had jilted last night. He wasn't frequently truant, he justified to himself.

When Aijo finally straggled into school at the end of the lunch hour, he reeked of lust and a more dizzying substance than his usual cigarettes. Yasuo took one look at his droopy eyes and sniffed the air thoroughly. Aijo was in for a shock when his habitually speechless brother let out a definite growl. He was even more amazed when Yasuo clutched his hand around Aijo's throat and shoved him against his locker. Astounded, Aijo looked into the bared fangs and furious eyes of his little brother.

"What the hell is wrong with you Aijo?" Yasuo shouted, eyes blazing. "Why are you acting this way? If you keep screwing up like this I'm going to tell mother and father. I should have said something but I thought you'd straighten this out on your own. Now confess damn it. What the hell is wrong with you?" he said furiously.

"You don't understand," pleaded Aijo desperately trying to yank free. Yasuo was steadfast. "You don't understand Yasuo. They would never understand."

"What don't I understand?" said Inuyasha standing in the hall. He had come undetected to witness this brawl. He walked closer to Aijo who became nervous under his eyes. There might have been more tension than that but the words of the Dog Goddess still rang in Inuyasha's ears filling him with unusual tact.

"No matter what it looks like," said Inuyasha gently, "I am your father". The son and father stared silently into each other's eyes for a moment, each searching for truth. Neither finding answers, Inuyasha walked off partly down the hall and turned around.

"Come on. The Goddess of the Dog Shrine is waiting for you." The two brothers gaped. Then they obediently followed.

They left the school and ran over the rooftops to the well. Aijo looked over to Yasuo who was running beside him. Feeling bad about their recent tussle, he hissed over at him. "Hey, you're not as much a wuss as I thought."

"It's because of you," Yasuo replied quietly. "You and father are such glory hogs. I have to do other things."

Aijo shrugged. "You still can fight can't you?"

"More than you know," said Yasuo with a sly grin.

Inuyasha flicked his ears back as he was running. So both his sons were keeping secrets? Damn. It was as their recent visitor had said. In any case, there was the business at hand to worry about.

They ran into the village where they were joined by friends and family. Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, Kilala, Shippo, Kiku, and Kagome waited around Kaede's hut talking. The aged woman could not go due to her advanced age, but she stood there smiling leant against a cane. They all said goodbye, some of them waving. As a group, they ran off into the distance.

It was getting late in the afternoon so they raced against the setting of the sun. Kilala's feet pounded on turf as she carried her human family while hanyous or half hanyous bounded alongside her. Shippo scurried on quick little feet like a flash of silver in the grass. He panted to keep up and so leapt up to catch a ride with his Okasan.

The peak of the mountain rose up before them and they climbed to its summit. They reached it as the stars began to burn in the sky and dark touched down on the earth. Kagome looked around followed by Inuyasha as the others skidded to a stop.

"Where is she?" she asked quietly. Inuyasha shifted his eyes around but could not detect anything.

"Humph," he sat flopping down. He began to look casual. "Might as well sit down and wait," he said.

"I guess you're right," said Kagome shifting her bow behind her shoulder. She swished her tail and sat down next to him.

They did not have to wait for long. When the darkness of the night was complete, lights began to break within its depths. They lit up in a long row along a sweep of grass and a cherry tree appeared. Petals floated up and down around it never touching the ground.

"Hello," I, the dog goddess, said appearing suddenly. "I appreciate your coming here on time. Aijo, I'm sorry I missed your birthday but I have a present for you."

Everyone sat up suspiciously and jumped to their feet. I pulled a long elegant sword from behind my back. I held it out as an offering.

Aijo approached the sword cautiously. He looked at it carefully, admiration in his gaze. "Is that for…me?" he asked quietly.

"Yes Aijo," I said happily. "This is the key to unlocking your partial immortality. You must learn how to draw on the strength of your demon blood. The sword will allow you to do this. Keep it with you always."

Aijo accepted the sword gingerly. He drew it out of its scabbard and soft light lit up the palm of his hand.

"Wow," he said almost reverently before the gleam of the blade. I smiled.

"You're a good kid Aijo," I said happily, "just don't let things get to you."

He stared back at me, not sure of what I talking about. "No matter what happens," I said, "you are Aijo, and you must walk your own destiny with pride."

"Wait a minute," said Inuyasha interrupting with his skepticism. "So this will give him two hundred years?"

"It will," I said nodding. I turned to him and smiled faintly. "The sword will only work for two hundred years, causing him to age twice as slow as an ordinary human. After that, the sword will fail and he will perish."

"But that's only two hundred years," Aijo spewed out finally speaking his heart. "According to the future, my mother and father will live for another five hundred. That means I'll grow old and die long before they do."

I regarded him sadly. "I'm sorry Aijo," I said shaking my head once more. "But that is the extent of my gift. It is for the best in the end. Someday, you will understand when you fall in love for yourself. After all, you said it for yourself. 'It might be easier for me if I was a damn, ordinary human.'"

Aijo gaped at me and I smiled. I pointed a finger towards the horizon. "You might try the west," I suggested. "In any case, good luck. I'm sure you'll do very well for yourself. Remember, ultimately it is your choice whether to accept this gift or not."

Aijo stood there, clutching his sword. He looked back at his parents who were staring at him sadly. The unpleasantness, almost unfairness of it ate at them all. Aijo flashed a brave, bold smile. He slid the sword into his belt.

"Then I shall… live, according to what has been given to me."

The clearing was full of wistful smiles.

Far away, the lost daughter lifted a similar blade to gleam against the moon. "Strange," she said. "Who was that old woman?"

"Oh well," she said sliding the sword in her sash. "Might as well keep it. Hum." An evil smirk revealed a pointed tooth.


	80. Chapter 80

Disclaimer: Still don't own Inuyasha. Don't worry, I'm done besmearing my beloved Aijo.

For Aijo, it was as if a million stresses had lifted off his shoulder. With no more school or responsibilities to the future, also the secure knowledge that he had a few hundred years to live, Aijo no longer felt the need to throw away the blessings he had been given. So it was that the edge he had taken on dulled. He quit his smoking and affiliations that might put him in bad standing with the pack of his family. He began to spend more time with Miroku and Sango, also his siblings and even his parents. Yet the needs he felt inside remained undiminished even as the years flew by. So it was that three years after receiving his sword of partial immortality, a handsome young man traveled alone along an old post road. Villagers stopped their hoeing to look at him.

"Who is that?" one man whispered to the other. "He came down from the mountain by the look of it."

"The mountain?" said the other as the young man continued down the road away from them. "Only demons live up there. Odd he doesn't have any servants."

"Yeah," said the other one spooked.

Aijo turned around and looked back at the aged villagers. He caught them staring at him and they rushed back to their work. Shrugging, he smirked good-naturedly. Aijo continued onwards and took a drink from his water bottle. He pushed aside his long black bangs to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Then he shook the dust off his robes.

"Well, at least I look like a wealthy demon," he said eyeing the clothes Miroku had procured for him. The monk was still up to his old tricks and though usually it meant trouble for everyone, it had helped Aijo in this instance. Feeling warmly towards the pervert monk for his help, Aijo sat down on the base of a stone memorial to think.

"The west huh?" he said quietly. He opened his eyes and looked down the road he was traveling. From here, he could not tell what was ahead. But that is the way life is like in general, whether we move willingly or not. Aijo had finally chosen to move. It was a good thing he had too.

The part demon took another drink from his bottle and secured the cap firmly. Shouldering his pack, he decided he had been moving too slowly. It was time to get off the main road so he could travel at full speed. Quickly, he walked into the trees and with a fierce bound leapt up into the bows of one of them. From there, he jumped from tree to tree recalling the days he had chased after his father who frequently traveled the same way. The scent and remembrance of the Modern Era washed out of his mind forever as his demon blood surged, joyous in Aijo's reliance on it.

Mile after mile blurred by until the forest ran out by the habitations of man. The scents of demons shifted to that of warriors and the stench of battle. Aijo looked out over his perch in the canopy to see several war-beaten armies camped out across from each other.

"Keh," he said like his father might have. "Stupid human wars I suppose."

He circled around the clearing keeping to the trees. He kept on running until he came to a large manor looming overhead. Out of curiosity, he bounded up the castle walls and dropped into the garden inside. He was completely undetected.

The smell of cooking dinner assaulted his nose making his mouth water. So he leapt up onto the roof in a spot where no one could see him and unwrapped his own lunch. He chewed on it thoughtfully.

"The hunt for Naraku huh?" he murmured. "Mother and Father continue their search to this day. What is it that I am seeking?"

Aijo had spent much of his life being towed around in search of Menoyomaru. That goal of parents had been largely fruitless. Since there was no sign their enemy, Aijo was "allowed" to go to school most of the year. It wasn't exactly something he looked forward to. What Aijo preferred was coming back to the Sengoku Jidai where he could train with his swords. He loved to battle. He had received his first wooden sword when he was only three years old and his first katana at the age of six. Aijo loved being part of a fighting group. The vocation suited him well because he was incredibly strong and had inherited some of his father's healing ability and endurance. He had also been schooled by Sango and Miroku in the human arts of demon battling. He was very adept at slaying demons and prided himself in his fighting ability.

Still, he was overshadowed by his father and was more like an accessory since eight able fighters were in the party. That excluded his little sister, who would soon learn the trade herself. So in light of all that had been happening lately, such as his too-rapid maturation and his family's well-meaning nosiness, he decided to take up the challenge the Priestess of the Dog Shrine had left to go out west.

Aijo spit out a fish bone into his napkin and tied it up. Then he tucked it into his pack. He had already eaten all his rice and his smoked fish. He pulled out a jam-filled cookie and looked at it sadly. The sight almost made him feel more nostalgic than excited about the journey he had undertaken. He ate it slowly, thinking longingly of the mother whom had given it to him. When he was done, he licked his fingers and stared at them.

"Sorry mother," he said quietly. "But I am a man. I have to live by my own choices. Not to mention find a girlfriend."

Aijo pulled out another cookie and was about to eat it when a woman of ethereal beauty walked into the garden. Aijo watched motionlessly while she nearly walked under him approaching a cluster of flowers.

"She's beautiful," he said catching his breath at the noblewoman. If she had been wearing something a little less concealing one might even have graced her with more sultry of terms. Aijo scooted a little bit closer and hung over the edge to get a better look. She was young, about his age and healthy looking.

Aijo wiggled his nose taking in her fragrance. In his eagerness, he accidentally loosened his hold on the cookie in his hand.

"Oops," Aijo cursed softly trying to catch it. The circular treat rolled off the edge on the clay tiles and fell down into the garden below.

The young woman looked up at the spoken curse and saw the cookie falling through the air in front of her. She reached out a hand and caught it. Then she raised her head up towards the rooftops to gaze into Aijo's eyes.

Aijo watched her eyes widen and thought for a minute she was about to scream.

He waved his hands desperately and then plastered himself down on the rooftop. Contrary to what he thought would happen, arrows did not start flying at him. Instead, he heard a voice call up softly towards him.

"Hello," said the young woman hesitantly. She looked around her to see that no one else was there. "Who are you?" she said quietly.

Aijo sat up on the roof with his hands raised over his head. Then he dropped them to his lap and smiled. His time with Miroku as a teacher had taught him how to wax poetic and now was the perfect time to use those skills. "I am Aijo," he said amiably. "I walk my own destiny with pride."

"Oh," the lovely woman wonderingly. "What are you doing on our roof traveler?" she asked.

Aijo looked around and then leapt down into the courtyard beside her. The lady watched him fall with admiration. A handsome young man with a cocky smile and elegant clothing stood before her.

"Merely passing through my lady," he said grinning at her. She tried to smile back.

"Tell me Lord Aijo," she said seriously. "Are you an ally of my brother?"

"An ally?" said Aijo curiously with his arms crossed. "That would make you…"

"The princess of this castle," said the young woman. She looked him deeply in the eye. "Tell me, can we count on your loyalty or are you here to kidnap me?"

Aijo met her gaze unflinchingly. "Please do not insult me my lady…"

"Kuroi," she said without hesitation.

"What kind of name is that?" asked Aijo.

"Why you!" said Kuroi angrily clenching her fists.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," said Aijo shaking his hands out in front of him. The lady before him calmed down. They both turned their heads around at the sound of mewing. A small cat came walking up the path out the rhododendrons and leapt up into Kuroi's arms.

"Why… why that's a two-tail," Aijo exclaimed.

"Shh!" hissed the girl. "Katana, you lost your ribbon again! You don't want anyone to find out now do you?" She pulled a yellow ribbon from her pocket. She began to search around the bushes for something.

"My Lord Aijo," she said anxiously. "Please help me look for a cloth of fur." Aijo stooped down and began to look in a bush opposite of the princess. He didn't see anything so he stood up just as she did.

"Ow!" said the princess holding her head. Aijo instinctively threw out a hand to steady her but she caught it. "No it's okay," said the princess staggering on her feet. "Forgive my clumsiness. Sometimes I'm like that." She walked off and continued searching.

Aijo kneeled down by the two-tail who hissed at him suspiciously as he held out a hand. Then the little cat walked forward and sniffed him. He licked Aijo's hand, testing it before deciding that Aijo was all right. Aijo petted the two-tail and then sniffed him in return. Then he walked out into the garden to scent out the fallen cloth. It was not too long before he found it. Aijo shook it off and handed it to Princess Kuroi who was watching him curiously. She bowed in thanks and then wrapped it around Katana's tail. She tied the yellow ribbon on the false tail and then stood up again.

"Thank you lord Aijo," she said politely. Her little firecat leaped up on her shoulder and she petted it. "Katana seems to like you. That's unusual. Usually, he is very protective of me. You are the first visitor he hasn't bitten."

"Yeah, well, maybe it's the smell of Kilala," said Aijo awkwardly.

"Kilala?" asked Kuroi curiously. At that moment, someone shouted out her title.

"I'm coming!" the princess shouted back to the interior of the mansion. She bowed quickly.

"I was pleased to meet you Aijo," she said. "I hope you come again, but I can't ask for that much. I hope you get out here safely. Even in times of peace, you would be taken as an invader. Farewell." She walked quickly back into the house.

Aijo watched her go. Her shoulders were set determinedly and without fear. He liked that. More than that, she didn't even know him yet she trusted him. He was confused about that but then, if her guard was a two-tail, he supposed she was pretty much safe from any normal mortal. He leapt up on the roof and decided to come back tomorrow. She seemed as promising a prospect as any other after all.

That night, Aijo leaned back against a tree by a river. He yawned and smiled happily shutting his eyes to sleep. "So this is why I came out west huh?" he said tapping his foot before rolling over.

Aijo woke up extra early in the morning. He splashed water on his face. Then, like a moth drawn to flame he was drawn to the trailing skirt of the most beautiful woman of the region. Princess Kuroi. He leapt up on the rooftop of her manor and looked down into the courtyard anxious to see her again.

He waited in vain all morning. Then, when the noon sun was high and he was getting quite burnt on the tile roof, he spotted a little demon cat running. It took one look at him and then jumped up to bash him with its claws outstretched.

"Yow!" said Aijo out loud. "What did you do that for you dumb cat!" Aijo heard several guards shouting to each other and he sunk lower on the roof.

The cat sat by him giving him the evil eye. Then it jumped down into the courtyard as Kuroi came into the garden. She held out her arms and it leapt up onto her to be cuddled it. Aijo felt jealous.

"Hello Katana," she cooed to it. The cat looked in Aijo's direction and mewed. She looked up.

"Oh, good morning Lord Aijo," she said warmly at the part demon sitting up on her roof. She whispered to her demon cat and Aijo heard it with his exquisite hearing. "Katana, watch the door." With a look of misgiving, the cat slunk off to do as she bid him. Kuroi looked up at Aijo again.

"Won't you come down?" she said quietly. Aijo nearly fell off the roof in his eagerness. He landed on the mondo grass and irises with a clomp.

"My lord," said Kuroi gently. "The path is over here." No reaction.

Aijo tried to regain the moment by brushing himself off suavely. "My lady, you are certainly looking beautiful today." He promptly found a cat attached to his sleeve.

"Yow, yow, yow, yow!" he cried trying to fling the feline off.

"Katana!" said the lovely lady. "That's enough!" The feline slunk off reluctantly.

"I'm sorry," said Kuroi smiling. "It's just that Katana is something of an attack cat. He is always keen to ensure my safety. With you hiding up on the roof like that, well I guess he got the idea that you had less than honorable intentions."

Aijo sighed. "Well, that's what I get for acting like Miroku," he muttered. More loudly, he said, "Forgive me my lady. I should have behaved more properly according to your station. Forgive me for being so discourteous."

The princess frowned. "Believe me, such discourtesies are not unwelcome to me."

"Why is that?" said Aijo thoroughly confused. Was she encouraging him or something?

"No matter! Please disregard my comments, Lord Aijo." Her eyelashes lifted flirtatiously and it seemed she was trying to hide her admission with a grin.

At that moment, Princess Kuroi's entire manner changed. One moment transformed her from a shivering flower bud to a steely woman with a vehement glare to match his mother's. Unbelievably, the princess shoved Aijo over into the bushes and hissed at him. "Hide," she uttered as if his life depended on it.

Aijo lay there stunned in the shrubbery. He heard several guardsmen come onto the porch and talk to the princess. Then they departed thumping their staffs along the ground.

Aijo felt a hand reach down into the bush and with a strength expected of a man, yank him to his feet. "Come on," the woman next to him hissed in his ear. Aijo flinched at the feel of her hot breath. She smiled seeing his reaction. It was a beautiful smile.

"Katana," she said commandingly but softly so as not to be overheard. The two-tail transformed into a hug fire-cat capable of being ridden. Princess Kuroi pushed Aijo towards the two-tail and he swung on. She leapt on as well so easily it looked like she was a piece of cloth fluttering onto the saddle. Katana began to run over the battlements and leapt up onto the cliff behind the manor. Then it flung itself down into a valley so fast Aijo thought they were going to crash as the ground came rushing up. But then fire burst out along its legs and the firecat veered up and floated off along the ground. Aijo breathed in deeply to stabilize his heart as they drifted towards the trees.

"Sorry to put you through that Aijo," said Kuroi with her eyes narrowed in concentration. "We're going to pass through the forest so I can hold a private audience with you. That is if you don't mind."

Aijo might not have minded at all except he was fairly certain it wasn't about being smitten. He quickly found out he was right as the firecat landed and Kuroi leapt off with a one-handed tumble. Katana bucked and sent him flying thirty feet.

"Now Aijo," she said promptly squatting down to stare into his eyes. "You never did tell me what you were doing on my roof." Aijo gulped.

"Just traveling and… err admiring," he said awkwardly.

"I see," said Kuroi. "You find me attractive don't you? I don't blame you. I must admit, you are rather cute yourself, but I must know."

She pulled a dagger out from her hair and as she did so Aijo saw it and rolled away. He stood up facing her. Kuroi smiled at her and Katana ran up in front of her growling at Aijo.

"Tell me traveler," she demanded glaring into his eyes. "Are you a spy or are you not?"

Aijo looked fiercely back at her. "Not wench," he said rudely. He had never used that word before but he thought the situation deemed it.

To his surprise, the princess let down her dagger and began laughing hysterically. "Wench," she gasped wiping the tears out of her eyes. "That's a first Aijo. I do believe I like you. So you were merely wandering through my territory were you, and being such a rude person decided to come to my house uninvited did you?"

Aijo blinked. "Rude person?" he asked. He hadn't been called that before but somehow he didn't mind it at all. He was actually encouraged by the compliment.

"Look here Princess," he stated as loudly and arrogantly as he could possibly manage. "Get it through your head. I'm not from around here and I have no interest in your territory. Your suspicions are totally unfounded, babe."

Kuroi grinned at him. Idly, she tucked her dagger back in its place. "So you have no ties to anyone in this region?"

"None at all," said Aijo sternly.

"Good then," Kuroi petting her firecat who was looking at her for direction. "I suppose it is your turn to ask questions then."

Aijo looked at her curiously. "I sure do. Why are you a warrior princess?"

Princess Kuroi began laughing again. She had a habit of partially shielding her mouth with the back of her hand when she did so. "Warrior princess?" she said after the mirth. "That's a description I like. Yes, I do know how to fight. In my situation, it is unavoidable and because of this, I am interested in obtaining your services. I need all the defenders of my castle I can get."

"Bah," said Aijo standing up. "I don't get involved in human wars. My family always advised against it." He turned away.

Aijo heard a sudden noise behind him and he moved to the left as a short sword swiped down cutting some of his hair. He sprung into the air and flipped over to glare at her. He pulled out one of the two swords he was carrying, the one made from Inuyasha's tooth his father had given him as a young child. It enlarged into a gleaming blade but wasn't nearly as large as Tetsusiaga. It remained largely for all appearances an ordinary Japanese sword except that it reverberated with power. Kuroi startled as she saw the blade.

"You aren't human are you?" said Kuroi fiercely. "Why have you come here demon? Katana, destroy him."

The cat looked up at her and a soft moan escaped from his throat. He shook his head.

"Hum?" said Kuroi looking at him. "Why do you speak for him Katana?"

"Because I'm not a demon," Aijo stated as if this was the simplest thing in the world.

"If you're not a demon, what are you? How did you get on my roof?" Aijo smiled at her.

"It is true that some demon blood flows in my veins." The woman clenched her sword anew ready to thrust.

"Woah, hold up a minute, sweetstuff! My father is a hanyou. My mother is a powerful miko. That makes me one-quarter demon. I'm really quite a nice guy I must say." The princess lessened her grip on her sword and relaxed a little. She decided to sheath her sword.

"And I am the feudal lord of this castle."

"The… lord?" said Aijo greatly confused. He knew from her smell that this was no male.

"Yes," she said calmly. "You see, my brother died many years ago. My father was always ill, so instead of acknowledging that there was no heir and allowing our kingdom to fall apart, I began to take my brother's place. I donned garb as both my brother and as the Princess Kuroi who lives a secluded existence. When my father died, I inherited title of the feudal lord." There was a tone of sadness with which she spoke and Aijo felt sorry for her.

"But why? Surely you did not want to head into battle."

Kuroi rapidly became angry at that comment, like a tea kettle boiling over. "I did what I had to," she yelled. "I do what I must. For the sake of my bloodline, my allies, my vassals. If we lose, it will cost us our lives to the last man. Our enemies will not let us live."

"Do you really believe that?" asked Aijo.

"I know that," said Kuroi more quietly. "It has been that way for many generations. The enemies of my house have slaughtered both young and old alike for the sake of eliminating revenge for decades. They know now mercy regarding my clan or its allies."

"I see," said Aijo softly. "Now I see better why father told me never to get involved in human wars. Sorry Princess, you're cute but not that cute."

"Oh no you don't!" Kuroi shouted whipping out her blade in a quick draw and slamming it against his own. "After all the secrets I've told you, you think I would let you go?!"

Aijo smiled down at her. He was only a few inches taller but stronger and so he easily pressed down against her forcing her down. Kuroi struggled desperately to keep her blade aloft, gritting her teeth and sweating but Aijo was only pretending her efforts had any effect.

"Oh my Princess," he said loudly. "I guess you got me. How about this. You defeat me and I promise to serve here for one year as your servant. I'll fight for you and even do personal favors. But if I win, I get to go free without you bothering me anymore."

"Deal," said Kuroi. They stood together locked in stalemate for several minutes.

"Done yet Princess?" said Aijo calmly after a while of trying to break it to her easy.

"Hey Princess," said a voice suddenly from out of nowhere. "Can't you see he's toying with you?" Aijo looked around and his jaw dropped when he saw the cat talking.

"Wha?!" he said greatly confused and backing up to take a better look. Kuroi took the opportunity and launched herself like a dart up above his head. She came down on Aijo's head with a resounding clunk.

"Wow, Princess," said the little two-tail poking her with its paw. "You really knocked him out good didn't you?"

"I sure did!" said Kuroi proudly.


	81. Chapter 81

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Feedback would be appreciated. (Really, really appreciated.) Forgive me if I get historical setting wrong. Names and characters are made up. This chapter may be subject to further revision. I think it's a bit rough but I'm posting it anyway.

A brush laden with ink paused before a parchment scrap. Dipping down, it began to trace a hurried patchwork of slurred lines.

"Dear Mother and Father," Aijo began on his pilfered page. "I doubt you will ever see me again. I have been imprisoned by an evil..." He decided against including certain terms he had been thinking. They would only startle his parents. Thinking about it, the entire page would. Doubtfully, Aijo completed his correspondence home. He promptly crumpled the whole thing up and threw it away. There was no sense in telling them about the situation he had gotten his own self into. The only thing such an action could do for him would be to heap more shame upon his already humiliating situation.

Humiliating. Yes, that was exactly the word for it. As much as Aijo hated to admitt it, this was no love story he had fallen into. It bore much more semblence to a nightmare. Four weeks ago, Kuroi had dragged him back to castle, unconscious. Afterwards, she had shown up with a general's garb and forced them on Aijo. She emphatically reminded him of his pledges to serve her for the course of an entire year. According to Kuroi, he was now a humble vassal to serve her every whim. Yes, Aijo cursed himself for getting himself into all this. He cursed himself just as much for allowing his love to turn to hatred.

The quarter demon sighed. Before that day, he had been enjoying the freedom of the Warring States Era. This trip out west had started out as an innocent journey. Now he, son of the mighty hanyou Inuyasha and member of the Inuyoukai clan, was trapped within the confines of the human world. Somehow, it this was a thousand times worse than being back at high school.

With a fierce agitation, Aijo stood up slid open the paper doors of his designated room. He prowled restlessly down a wooden corridor. He half-hoped, half-feared to see the woman he had come to dread most.

Thankfully, Kuroi was absent from the hallway. Instead, his eyes fell upon people he disliked almost just as much. In this case, it was a couple of giggling servant women whom the Castle Lord had assigned as his attendants. Aijo wasted no flirtations on them. Besides their obnoxious gawking at him, Aijo knew from their whisperings that they were Kuroi's spies. Even more distastefully was the ninja outside his door each night. He always rested terribly as result, all thanks to his sweet Princess Kuroi.

Because of a combination of frayed nerves and lost sleep, Aijo was in a rare fine distemper today. Instead of his habitual good naturedness, or even a bout of repressed anxiety, he was unknowingly acting like his father of years past. A livid anger washed across his features settling there with insistence permanence. His tone became agitated, his words terse and rude. Similarly, a series of growls caused his lips to part revealing the tips of his ominous fangs. It was an awe-invoking display of vehemence, one suitable for a part youkai.

Against his better senses, Aijo continued down the hallway in search of Princess Kuroi. He wondered idly where his tormenter had gone to what new evil she had planned for him. Stopping before the guarded door leading to her private quarters, he nodded his head towards the soldiers there. He stayed by the entrance until Princess Kuroi's only personal attendant could be fetched.

At long last an aged woman named Noami trundled into the hallway. She bowed neatly towards Aijo and smiled at him. As usual, a few missing teeth showed. Aijo decided he hated her too for no particular reason.

"Lord Takahashi. You are here to see Princess Kuroi, I assume? Please allow me to be your chaperone." Aijo sighed. This was the elaborate lie with which he had become entwined.

It had been a critical error on Aijo's part to allow himself to be distracted by the talking two-tail. One moment he had been winning an easy fight. The next, he was laid out on a bedroll in the castle. Apparently, Princess Kuroi had brought him back on the pretext that he was his "sister's" intended. Hence the chaperoning.

If the lies ended there Aijo might have been able to live with how things turned out. He had messed up, he realized. If anything he should be grateful to be alive after falling to a foe in battle. If the circumstances had been different he might have been amused with Kuroi's actions. But these were not any of those circumstances. This was the case of a man's pride being dragged through the mud by a pretty girl, not to mention a loss of freedom.

The unforgivable occurred after the battle. Aijo heard the tale from Kuroi's very own lips. She had drugged him thoroughly to keep him unconscious. After this, she created a made-up escort of battle weary soldiers. In actuality, it was composed of a half-dozen of her best ninja spies. They had slung him across a horse and dragged him back to the castle as the victim of an ambush.

Aijo found this all thoroughly degrading. First of all, he had long since given up any designs on Princess Kuroi. The false engagement between them rubbed him in all the wrong places. Second, there is no way he would have ever been caught up in a human ambush. Mere mortals, not even Sango or Miroku at their best, could not catch him. His senses were as sharp as that of a full-fledged demon and he prided himself on them. Third, there was the unendurable fact that he had been dragged home over the saddle like some trophy prize. Just the thought of what Kuroi had did to him made him want to kick her in the midrib. But it had not ended there.

After awakening, Aijo had politely been introduced to the Castle Lord's generals and captains as Lord Takahashi from the far eastern regions of Nippon. Supposedly, he was there to meet his prospective bride and aid them in their never-ending war. Aijo was infuriated with Kuroi's declarations.

Soon after being introduced, Aijo had confronted Kuroi on it. He had no intentions of getting involved in human wars, he told her. Kuroi had replied that to honor his promise to her he had no choice in the matter. As an honorable lord, he was stuck.

Aijo knew that Kuroi, as a member of a samurai household, believed that if one broke a promise, one had to kill themselves to salvage the honor lost. What she did not know was that Aijo held absolutely no such custom for himself. Nor did he care much for the flattering titles she had bestowed upon him. He was only furious for her manipulations of him. Most all he was furious that he had lost. Yes, he would uphold his word. He had no choice. But it was not a matter of life or death to him. Instead it was a matter of choking pride. Of all the traits Aijo had developed most, it was probably his hidden arrogance. He was not someone to be triffeled with. Yet she thoroughly had.

Walking down to the Princess's quarters, Aijo thought back to his third meeting with Kuroi after his awakening. She had completely dismissed his grudges. "Have some saki," Kuroi had said offhandedly. That was her answer to everything. Unless she had some reason for doing otherwise, every question or complaint he had was given this same response. Finally he had blown up at her.

"No, I will not have some saki! Will you get it through your head!" he blazed. He suddenly found himself holding a large broom.

"Then stay home and mind the castle if you're too scared," Kuroi had said mockingly. The following day, Kuroi headed off to battle leaving Aijo behind with a long list of chores.

In this way, Aijo became an administrative assistant instead of a soldier. For nearly three weeks, Aijo helped inspect and repair fortifying walls. He signed orders for moat repairs and did some of the messy digging himself. He came to know each storeroom inside and out. By the end of first the week, he was an acquaintance of every servant, soldier, and their family. Aijo also found himself had to sorting through messages from every justice of the peace, taxcollector, mayor, and governor of the province. In accordance to his new lord's order, he also feigned a visit to his bride-to-be weekly to keep up the ruse that the Princess still resided at the castle.

It was exhausting work. Even worse was the knowledge that he was constantly being watched. Aijo could sense observers around him and he could smell their scent on nearly everything he touched. Not to mention her evil cat demon was always playing tricks on him.

Now, a little more than four weeks after his ordeal had first began, Kuroi had returned to the castle. At long last Aijo could face her. He could not change his constraining vows but he could force her to answer at least some questions about herself. Boldly, the quarter demon crossed over the threshold into her room.


	82. Chapter 82

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Feedback would be appreciated. (Really, really appreciated.) Forgive me if I get historical setting wrong. Names and characters made up. This chapter may be subject to further revision.

Princess Kuroi was facing away from Aijo as he entered. Instead of hiding behind a screen or being seated demurely as might become a woman of her station, she was applying makeup in the mirror. "Come in," Kuroi tossed over her shoulder as she clicked open a clamshell and used the lipstick contained within. Aijo glared at her since that is what he had come here to do anyway.

"Making yourself pretty, Princess?" he said standing behind her. Kuroi did not bother turning around but she peered into the mirror to observe his angry eyes.

"Now, now, Aijo. Is that anyway to treat your intended?" Aijo closed the shell in her hand with an angry snap.

"You and I both know I'm not your intended."

"Shh, not so loud," said Kuroi with an amused reprimand. "Would you rather you addressed me as lord?"

"Don't make me laugh," Aijo said indignantly. "I could beat you in fair fight."

"That was a fair fight, Aijo," Kuroi said harmoniously. "So I take it your stay here has not been going well?"

"It's been going fine as far as imprisonment goes. I've finished all the wall work you dictated."

"And?"

"You need a whole new set of walls, Princess. This is the Warring States Era. Those walls may be able to hold back arrows but they won't hold off guns."

"You know about such things?"

"Of course I do. I was never good in school but I do pay attention to history. Anything to do with fighting anyway."

"A fine education becomes a lord."

"Whatever, Princess." The conversation garbled down into an awkward silence. Kuroi finished powdering her face.

"Well I hope you can let go of that thread of animosity," said Kuroi, "since the Princess is about to make one of her rare appearances."

"Aren't you supposed to be sickly?" Aijo queried with his arms folded together.

"Not sickly. I'm timid and somewhat frail. Overexertion is not good for someone as meek as I. Warlords and their soldiers terrify me."

"Whatever," Aijo said crossly. "Where are we going?"

"To the exterior gardens of the manor. We are going on a picnic to be exact."

"Really? Do you want poetry with that?"

"Actually, I do. The wives and daughters of every samurai in this castle will be there too. We will all be composing and exchanging poetry today."

"I don't see why I have to be there."

"You are acting out of concern for your lover. The harsh air may prove too much for me after all."

"I seriously doubt it."

"No one needs to know that." A trickle of irritation finally entered Kuroi's voice and Aijo beamed victoriously.

"Well lover, how would you like me to address you then? Is there some pet name you prefer?"

"Call me Lady Kuroi, thank you. We aren't married yet."

"We never will be."

"On that we both agree, demon." Kuroi's eyes stared back at him hatefully. "All I require of you is a plausible appearance."

On a great lawn outside of the manor, a tiny stream ran in a manmade channel. A series of umbrellas was set up on both sides of this manmade water feature. In this manner, every person in attendance had their own clear view of the stream, presumably for inspiration purposes.

Despite Aijo's glowering anger, it was a gloriously auspicious day. The sun beamed down on a confection of colorful robes milling about the green space. Here, just beyond the outer porches of Kuroi's manor, females of ages fifteen to fifty-five sat in the shade beneath silken umbrellas while retainer boys ran messages amongst them. From inside the castle itself, a stream of kitchen attendants poured forth like ants to bring tea and treats for the women to enjoy.

The Princess did a good job of impersonating an ill person, Aijo decided as he stood beneath her umbrella with her. She had leant on him gingerly as they came here arm in arm. After sitting delicately in her chair, she had begun to paint. Every fifteen minutes or so she stopped to rest her weary hands. Most importantly, she no longer spoke with regal authority. Instead, she used a high-pitched and altogether breathless tone.

Aijo was mildly interested by her duplicity. He watched in fascination at her reactions to the many well-wishers whom made inquiries on her behalf.

"Yes, I am feeling much better," Kuroi would lie through her teeth to them. "Soon I am planning to visit the temple to celebrate my return to good health." Then she would look out on the peaceable celebration and smile.

Her poetry at least seemed genuine. Aijo read a total of three haiku over her shoulder and all of them expressed appreciation for the peace she was granted if even for one day. Aijo was surprised. Her comparisons between a violence-free day and a break in the clouds were something Aijo could comprehend.

For a moment only, Aijo was almost struck sympathetic by it all. Princess Kuroi was a woman. This gore-free playing field was the world to which Kuroi rightfully belonged by virtue of her birth. Yet she could never live within it. She was too busy making war in her dead brother's place to enjoy any of it.

Aijo's animosity softened temporarily. Then he recalled Kuroi was a warrior whom had wronged him. As such, he could never be content until they had a rematch. He could not forgive her until he had proven to himself that his pride as a fighter had not been lost.

Around them but not within, the afternoon passed in a lazy placidness. Finally, Kuroi stood up to lean against Aijo's arm. The quarter demon knew he was meant to be guide the Princess back to her quarters. Aijo forced a smile onto his face and did exactly what was expected of him. As a fiancé appointed to the family he could never say anything against Princess Kuroi. But, he noted with sudden inspiration, he could take up the issue of his honor with her brother.

A restful week passed within the castle. Kuroi's small army of samurai tended their wounds and regained their strength for the next skirmish they would inevitably be called on to fight. In the meantime, they made merry of the fragile life their blood had purchased. Aijo watched moodily while the generals and captains took grants and gifts from their liege lord and distributed it amongst themselves. Some returned to their families within the castle town. Others ran amok on rice, sake, and women.

Kuroi's work never stopped however. After her triumphant return she became heavily involved in taxes and construction projects. Aijo became familiar with these tasks because she kept him busy on odds ends jobs involving them. At the same time Princess Kuroi, posing as the feudal lord, barricaded herself in a series of strategy meetings. These Aijo had no part in. He supposed it was because the Princess did not trust him. In her position, he wouldn't have either. Still, it created a tension between him and her generals. As an ally, lord, and fiancé to the castle's princess, Aijo should have been involved in the battles and meetings. Yet he was not. It left Kuroi's faithful retainers confused. They argued with the lord that Princess Kuroi at least deserved one of their own relatives whom had proven their devotion as opposed to the cowardly newcomer.

Aijo heard their clamor through the paper-thin walls of the manor and it smote him. He burned at their assumptions. He, Aijo, son of Inuyasha and Kagome, member of Inuyasha's pack, and member of the Inuyoukai clan was no coward. He had shirked battle not out of fear but out of principle. In truth, his blood yearned the sweep of a blade and smell of crimson leaking. Yet he would not, could not condone the action of one mass of humans running up to slaughter the other. Seeing Princess Kuroi's eagerness to launch attacks on her enemy made him seriously wonder about her sanity. Didn't she realize that the existence of humans was precarious enough with youkai, famine, disease, and social crime dropping them to their graves unmercifully? So many injustices and errors in the world already existed without having to extend one's hand in encouragement of them.

Still, with a hypocritical mind Aijo remained centered on his desire for revenge. He would make Kuroi repent mocking him. He decided that her counsel of generals was precisely the place to do so. It was time to vent.

Princess Kuroi had just settled herself in for a long and boring strategy meeting. She was reciting the complaints of her cousins when a loud knock echoed on her meeting room door. It could not have been any of the guards. The knock was far too loud an insistent that it sounded like an invasion. Just as she stood the door fell down frame included leaving a wide gap in the wall. To her great frustration and even wrath, she spied none other than her rebellious Lord Aijo.

"Castle Lord," Aijo slandered without respectfully mentioning her family name, " I challenge you to a duel. Swords, arrows, spears you pick it. I dare you to face me again, Castle Lord." The quarter hanyou delivered this last line in a dripping sarcasms and he could smell a vapor of fury rising off she whom he called tormentor.

"You do realize nothing will change?" Kuroi spoke icily. Aijo noticed with some satisfaction that her knuckles had turned white on her sword. "The vows you have made will stand irregardless of one petty rematch?"

"I realize that," said Aijo sourly. "I'm just trying to redeem my honor as a fighter. You may have bested me once, my lord, but it won't happen again. Not now, not ever. I'll prove to you I know how to dish it out."

"To the death?" said Kuroi with grim amusement.

"Nah, you can try to kill me all you like. But I promise you I won't need to kill you to beat you." The quarter demon said all this with a sinister smile.


	83. Chapter 83

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Feedback would be appreciated. (Really, really appreciated.) Forgive me if I get historical setting wrong. Characters are made up. I do use one name in usage during the time period but it refers to no one real. Aijo is a base kanjii. Kuroi is a name suggested by a reviewer of mine. They suggested it as a name for Inuyasha's daughter but I found better use for it here. This chapter may be subject to further revision.

Kuroi sighed heavily. In her time posing as a human male, she had come to know the male psyche well. She knew warriors well to be more exact. For this reason she understood Aijo. Yet she wished bitterly he would have just lain down instead of being such an obvious guy. Still, she wondered to herself, if he had been the meek type, would she have been compelled to capture him at all? No. She was used to reckless warriors. She found herself watching Aijo's show of masochism with a curious fascination. She smiled. The first real smile she had had in ages.

"Very well, Aijo. You shall have your wish. Do not expect me to hold back."

"That's exactly how I want it." Kuroi's heart fluttered curiously. Yes, he was definitely the warrior type.

Kuroi's generals looked on the confrontation with their mouths agape. Kuroi could see their staring and for some reason it bothered her more than usual.

"Get up," she barked at them. "Arrange witnesses and recorders for this duel. I expect all of you in attendance." Yes, she decided wearily. She would let Aijo have his day of glory. It was the only way to calm him down. She had no intentions of going easy on him regardless.

Striding outside, Kuroi ordered the courtyards clean of horse dung. A banner was set up proudly displaying the emblem of her house. Aijo did the same, painting an emblem Kuroi had never seen before. The recording scribe Kuroi requested arrived and her generals settled down nervously. Everyone seemed to sense that today was a day of great moment.

There was no wisdom in allowing the tension to build any longer. As soon as Aijo moved into reasonable distance, Kuroi swept up two mochi-yari (held-spears). Each was an ominous four meters in length with a blade sufficiently long enough to stick through a person. The acting Castle Lord tossed one these spear to Aijo and gave him a frighteningly happy smile.

"Consider this the day we lay this grudge this to rest, Lord Takahashi." Aijo smirked in reply.

Kuroi spun the spear in her hand for show and charged in with a thrust. Aijo deflected the thrust with his own spear and sent it spinning noisily.

"So much for that battle," he said arrogantly.

Kuroi hissed. She had thought it possible to be defeated by Aijo but surely not as easily as this. Ripping out her katana as her secondary weapon, she slammed it against Aijo's own. Finding resistance, she dashed away to avoid a repeat of their last sword standoff. He was too strong, she surmised with a frown. She would have to break his defenses to get a slash in. Kuroi almost regretted the bulky armor she was in now. Almost, but not quite. It had saved her life many times before now and she doubted that today would be any different.

Kuroi found she could not move quickly enough. Aijo turned, facing her constantly no matter what action she took. If she lured his blade away one way it was always quick to return to defend his whole body. Desperate, Kuroi turned to his stance but it was solid without any danger of stumbling.

Kuroi's brow wrinkled up in concentration. Aijo could fend off one sword but how about two? Unmindful that she was revealing her last ditch-fighting secrets, she swept out her wakizashi (short sword) and began wielding it as one would a dagger, using her longer katana to keep Aijo at bay. To her and everyone else's astonishment, she found Aijo's foot on her dagger and her blade in his fingers at exactly the same time, depriving her of both her weapons. Kuroi felt her jaw drop and her heart twitter.

"Do you yield?" Aijo said with a calmness she had not heard since their first battle. Now it was she was mad.

"You have proved yourself worthy," Kuroi admitted ruefully, "yet now I challenge you to a match. Yabusane (the way of the bow and the horse)."

"Archery it is then," said Aijo nodding. The fiery rage which had consumed his eyes had now dimmed. His need for revenge vanquished, he began to taste the harmless competitive spirit which he as a man found so sweet and Kuroi as a woman so bitter.

Princess Kuroi, dressed as the acting Castle Lord, glared at Aijo. Her rage pressed the wistful ache in her heart away so that it lay half-forgotten. She would show this scum, this part-demon she was not someone to be taken lightly either. Summoning more servants and her best two horses, she had a new challenge set before them.

This next challenge seemed a bit of an odd one to Aijo. Instead of riding around and shooting at each other, they would be shooting at a series of picket signs with bulleye targets painted on them. They were mobile targets, since servants held them high above their heads all while running around. The practice struck Aijo as more than a bit dangerous to the servants but he went with it anyway.

Trying to ignore the fact that he could hardly ride, Aijo watched Princess Kuroi sweep by the targets at a full gallop. Upon passing each one of the fleeing targets, she sent a solitary arrow into the board with a sharp clang. Afterwards, people cheered in accordance to how close to a bulleye her arrow actually was. With a growing admiration, Aijo realized that two thirds of her shots were. Kuroi was not as good a marksman as his mother perhaps but she was certainly better than the typical man.

With a great disquiet, Aijo climbed up on the horse he had been given. He had never had any use for horses. The horse seemed to feel the same way about him. After taking in his demon smell it began to whiny nervously. Moments later it began to bolt.

"What on earth is he doing?" thought Kuroi to herself. Her advising generals seemed to be thinking the same thing too. The once calm warhorse they all knew to be Kuroi's favorite was doing all it could to throw off the Takahashi Lord. For his part, the young man displayed no riding knowledge at all. At first he tried to pull the reins too hard so that the horse would have a sore mouth. Then he gave up the reins entirely and clung to the horse's neck which seemed to drive the poor creature even more bezerk. It wailed with an unwholesome panic that had Kuroi's own mount stampeding. To the astonishment of all observers, Aijo managed to shoot two of the targets atop of the bucking horse.

"Look out!" shouted Aijo as his bow and arrows toppled only to be smashed beneath his horse's feet. With a violent scramble, the horse he was on leap past the open inner gate and began running within the castle garden. Kuroi rode after him, hearing the pertrified shouts of many of her household servants. It wasn't too long before the frightened horse came back round again and plowed through her generals instead. The commotion came to an abrupt halt.

With a graceful tumble, Aijo vaulted off the horse and landed in front of it. Catching it up two handed, he lifted it above his head. With a hiss, Kuroi knew her ruse was up.

"Begone demon!" said Kuroi pulling out a sutra. She slapped it on Aijo's chest as he stood there with horse overhead.

"What are you doing?" Aijo's voice was flat and strangely unimpressed. He lowered the horse to the ground with a loud flop and peeled the sutra scroll off. Before anyone could blink, he slapped it on the horse's head and held it by the nostrils.

"Look horse," said Aijo growling in dog language which strangely enough the horse understood. "I'm not going to hurt you so shut up." The horse fell deafeningly silent.

Kuroi stood bewildered as the quarter demon climbed aboard her favorite warhorse and began guiding it as if they were long time companions. It was something she could not understand. Just moments ago the beast was whinnying as if it were in the process of being eaten. Now, it was following each and every one of Aijo's commands faultlessly. Indeed, it didn't seem like he had to give command at all. He just growled at it and the horses began to walk a leisurely lap around the courtyard.

"How did you do that?" Kuroi could not stop herself from asking out loud.

"Easy," Aijo said loudly enough for she and all her generals to hear. He gave the horse he was on a friendly slap to the neck. "Possessed horses are light as a feather. Everyone knows you just shake 'em to get the demon out." He gave her secretive wink.

Kuroi stalled. Despite his fangs, Aijo for most appearances was a mere human. Yet what a mortal he was. His tangled and wild hair cascaded in a glittering sheen of ebony to drape around his shoulders and back like a mane. His eyes were a livid violet, as enrapturing as the mist of the stars. His face was as fine as that of a nobleman of dreams. With anger or without, his voice was commanding and firm, invoking friendship or temptation to those around him. For a mere mortal Aijo was beyond the conception of elegance. It was no wonder that even Kuroi shot wantful glance toward him. She felt her bones melting within her and her mind float away. He was strong. He was witty. He was handsome. He was also a demon but for a moment she let her line of taboo snap. Then with a sharp, taut twang it returned in full force.

"Very well," Kuroi could hear herself stating with a hidden blade of anger. "I apologize for the animal. You have proved yourself capable. You may accompany us to our next battle should you wish." The air held, dangerously charged between them. Her last three words were their only truce and the two of them knew it.

"Keh, I'm having too much fun minding the castle, my lord," Aijo said offhandedly in an attempt to dissipate the aura that hung between them as tangible as any youkai's.

Sniffing, Kuroi dismissed everyone from her presence. She had better things to do than watch Aijo's exultations. For example, she had to replace her meeting hall door. Kuroi settled herself in to direct repairs. The tension she had been under recently began to ease. Respite, however was not to be hers. No sooner had she begun to calm than her left hand serving general came to stand beside her unexpectedly.

"Meaning no disrespect, my lord, but is there some sort of hostility between you and Lord Takahashi?" Kuroi drew in a breath and let it out sharply, hopefully too low for anyone else to hear.

"Yes," she said simply not wanting to go into it. "He and I did battle once. Long ago, he fell to me. As part of the conditions he agreed to become my sister's fiancé. Things were different back then." The silence of watching delayed them both.

"Are you certain this youth comes from a warlord's family?" The prying general left the question drifting like a powder to infect a wound, should one be there. Unfortunately for him, there was none.

"Yes. I am certain," spoke Kuroi softly. "Not only is it his arrogance and hairstyle that give him away. I am informed of his heritage. It is vastly different from ours. It is from this fact that much of the enmity draws."

"It would be better for you to chose a different match for your sister. There are suitable choices among our allies."

"No," said Kuroi thoughtfully. "Our allies are involved in their own conflicts at the moment. Besides, I have given my word and I intend to keep it."

"Yes, my lord."

"There is something you could do for me, Itagaki. Speak with Lord Takahashi. He abhors my presence just as much as I do his. Yet he should harbor no hatred of you. Should you pressure him, he may be willing to join you in battle as your junior."

"If Lord Takahashi is an enemy of yours, should not I slay him, your Lordship? He is already in a position to take over should he conspire against you. You have no heir, my lord. He is to wed your sister as well. Should you maintain him an active general, you are only encouraging his treachery by making him your successor should you fall."

"I am aware of the danger, Itagaki. Do not think there is reason to protest my foolishness. Takahashi may bear a personal grudge against me but we are equally incapable of striking the other. Both of us are bound by shared vows and the sanctity of our respective secrets."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Fear not, Itagaki. I have my resources should Lord Takahashi get out of hand. I keep him close so that I might punish him all the better."

"Understood, my lord."

Kuroi frowned. Sure, that is what she said. But after today's display she really was not confident of herself anymore. Aijo was cunning. With an almost fluid naturalness, he had turned a disastrous situation to his own advantage. Even worse, she was not certain she could defend herself against him. The spell scrolls she had commissioned had been her trump card. Neither those nor her own fighting abilities had sufficed this day. Pensively, Kuroi thought back to the words of her many ninjas.

"He looks at us as if night were day. No mere mortal could look into our eyes then turn away pretending."

Yes, Princess Kuroi thought to herself cursing. Aijo was deadly. Unlike the humans around her, he could not be dealt with by stealth or force. The quarter demon could be her making or her ruin, all depending on whether or not she could fashion a truce between them. For the time being, she could only pray to the gods that her concerned vassals commit no offense against him lest he unleash his fury on all. With a heavy sigh, Kuroi agreed with Itagaki this was a dangerous game she was playing.

Still, these were times of utmost desperation. Her province was an insignificant one with little resources. Besides being far away, her allies were currently embroiled in a war with long term enemies. With a prickling premonition, Kuroi sensed it was only a matter of time before these swept down on her own long ignored region. If she did not obtain help from wherever she could find it, she and all her vassals were doomed. Raising her eyes, she found to her consternation that Aijo was leaning against the doorway. A combination of fear and lust shivered through her form as Aijo's eyes met her own.

"Hey there, Castle Lord," Aijo said lazily. His eyes swept over her in calm appraisal. Kuroi could almost swear he was testing the wind.

"Lord Takahashi?"

"Sorry about me being a jerk and all. I just couldn't live it down, you know? I hope all this rests between us." Kouri gaped at the hand held out to her. Aijo caught her look.

"Oops, sorry about that. Western custom." He withdrew the proffered hand and bowed instead.

"Hope you'll forgive me for being such an ass."

"So you'll join us on our border campaign?"

"You ask me to go against the promises I have made to my family and comrades. Which vow do you think is more important to me?"

"I see."

"Don't ask the impossible. I know where my loyalty lies."

"What about your honor? I could demand the punishment for disrespect." Indecision flickered over Aijo's features. He straightened.

"Interesting question. Should I go by the samurai laws of this era? As compelling as your bait is, my lord, I must decline."

"I could have you killed if you're too cowardly to do it yourself."

"I don't live by human laws, Princess."

"Silence."

"Okay, okay. I know I sound like a sore loser. But I don't agree with your customs. Or your war. You ask me to jump into it without knowing anything about it, and from what I remember from my old school days you'll lose."

"Whether we live or die is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that we fight."

"Is that how it is? Tell me, Princess, did you ever try to make a truce instead? Or the alternative. Why didn't your 'brother' arrange a marriage to one of his many allies instead of me?"

"Perhaps because he knows them personally and deemed none of them worthy of her."

"Oh is that it?" Aijo said straightening suddenly. "You were afraid of letting yourself being a political pawn. Instead of marrying someone for your kingdom's sake, you chose to think of yourself first." Kuroi's nostrils flared.

"This is my home. These are my people. Each one of us would stay here at any cost."

"Yeah, well sometimes change is good."

"Silence! Your vow Takahashi is to serve me. It is not within your ability to question why."

"I suppose I forget," Aijo mumbled to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything. Look, if you want I can protect this castle for you. I can keep it up. But I would appreciate it if you kept me out of your family feuding. When this year is over I'm outta here."

"Fine. I will cease asking for your help in the matter. As of today, your service is confined to this castle."

"Fine. That's done." Whirling about, Aijo made to depart.

"Wait. Aijo, I mean Lord Takahashi."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I should not have asked so much of you."

"It's nothing. Personally, Kur... err your lordship, I like fighting. It's just that I'm used to fighting demons. I don't like picking on the weak."

"The weak, huh. Does that include me?"

"I think you would like me better if I didn't answer that question."

"Fine." Haughtily, Kuroi watched him go. In many ways, Kuroi was relieved to see his retreating figure. At the same time, she felt her heart swell in regret.


	84. Chapter 84

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. There are no historical characters in this story. I seem to have lost two readers. Did I say something offensive in Aijo's thoughts? For all of those still here, thank you, and especially thanks to those who take the five seconds to review. It makes me soooooooo happy to get reviews!

In the dead of the night a single lantern illuminated three faces. Each mortal stared, transfixed, into the flickering light before them. What possessed each to do so was just as incomprehensible to them as the concept of darkness and their murky feelings toward it.

Once again, Princess Kuroi was cloaked in the guise of a man not woman. For this reason the inky blackness surrounding her was quite welcome. Unlike her companions who put forth their hearts truthfully, it lacked the sting as a vessel of fear. For she was one who hid her true heart and her intentions. For Kuroi, the darkness was no foe. It was protector instead, of both her heart and her darkest secrets. Tonight, it was as cherished. The weighty drape of darkness over her shoulder was as solid a reassurance as if a friend were holding her hand tightly. Kuroi blessed the darkness. If it were not night, she might have been rooted here by her dread.

"You are certain?" Kuroi's voice cut through the empty room, resonating against the planking. Lowering her voice, she tried again.

"Lord Yamagata, you are certain the enemy force is attacking?" A man dressed in a bold armor of crimson nodded.

"Yes my lord. They are amassing in secret a few miles distance from the castle. They could make the march in half a day."

"I see. What are your recommendations?"

"I recommend that we position all units in defense of the castle. As it is, our forces are insufficient. The opposing army is sixty thousand strong."

"Scouts? Foot samurai? Calvary? Spearmen? Archers?"

"All my lord. It would seem our enemy is going all out."

"But no gunmen?"

"It is unconfirmed. All such weapons would be in storage right now due to the rainy weather. The arquebuse makes use of powder just as a firework does, my lord. They may be waiting till after the rain to make their attack."

"Understood. In that case I have a different strategy for you. It is time to test Lord Takahashi's fidelity to me."

"My lord?"

"Lord Itagaki, you and half our men remain in the castle. Defend it to your last. Should Lord Takahashi show any signs of betrayal, do not hesitate to kill him. I leave it to you, Itagaki, to convince him to fight for us."

"Yes, my lord."

"I will leave my best ninjas and my best archers with you, should he get out of hand. However, I warn you not to make a move against him until betrayal is certain. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Lord Yamagata, you and the remainder of our men hide in the woodland. Do not move from that spot until called."

"Daimyo?"

"I intend to allow the enemy forces to assault the castle walls. After they have exhausted themselves against us, we will swoop down from behind and finish them."

"There is the danger that they will not fall for such a trap. If they detect us, all those outside the castle will be slaughtered."

"It is a heavy risk but one I am willing to take. Surprise may be our only advantage in face of such great numbers."

"If these are your convictions, we will go with it." The room fell silent once again and again all hearts became patterned with darkness.

"Daimyo, what is your reason for wishing to test Lord Takahashi thus? Is he truly that important to you that you would sacrifice your own?"

"It is quite the contrary, actually. Lord Takahashi is either our greatest hope or our greatest enemy depending on what decision he makes. He has promised to defend the castle should it be attacked. So let him defend it. If he fails to live up to his promises Lord Yamagata will reclaim the castle through the secret passages."

"Understood, my lord."

"I have complete trust in your abilities and your loyalties. I have no doubt in my mind that we will be triumphant in the upcoming battle."

"If such is your conviction, my lord, please allow me to have fifteen thousand men. You will need the other twenty thousand to defend the castle."

"How truly I may count on you, Yamagata."

"A samurai lives only to fulfill his devotions, my lord."

"Irregardless of this battle's outcome, we must spend prepare ourselves for death. I invite the two of you to join me in prayer at the shrine. My sister should be engaged in her calligraphy lesson. I ask that you two do not inform her of the possible siege. The mere mention of it may be enough to bring about a relapse into illness."

"Understood, my Lord." Both of Kuroi's top generals, that of the left and the right, chanted the honorific at precisely the same time to a mysterious effect. Kuroi shook off the sensation and swept from the room trying to quash any sense of foreboding that she had. She would have to have faith in Aijo. She would believe in him and his ability to save them all. Yes, there was no cause to be fearful of the night she said to herself.

Aijo slept in complete ignorance. His ear remained trained on his surroundings so he stirred every now but no movement sounded but the gentle scuttlings of a mouse along the wallboard. This disturbance he took care of with a careless flick to his claws. Then the quarter demon settled down to sleep again. Outside, in the dead of the night, fifteen thousand men were departing undercover of darkness and the obscurity of mist and rain. Aijo remained unaware.

When the mornings rays came at last to coat the floor and flicker into one's sleepy eyes to widen them, Aijo was feeling unusually refreshed. Last night it seemed his body had chosen a deep sleep instead of the usual tense one. It left the quarter demon sighing in the happiness that he had rested well for a change.

Aijo called out into the hallway for breakfast. He hurriedly wrapped his outer kimono around himself and tied the sash tight. Sliding one of his swords into the belt, he waited eagerly for a large meal.

In a few minute's time, the two servants assigned to him returned. With a low bow, the first set out the portable stand that served as a table. The second set a tray of food onto the table. Like the first one, she bowed before fluently moving away. Aijo waited until the sliding screen shut. Then he picked up his hashi (chopsticks) and began to eat his rice.

Aijo was just about to begin eating his miso soup when he heard a knock on the door. To his consternation, the door slid back and a servant peered in.

"My lord, I have been asked to see if you would receive a visitor."

"What kind of visitor?"

"Lord Itagaki makes the request for your audience."

"Whatever then."

"My lord?"

"Let him in." Aijo slurped down his soup hastily. The serving girls began to move around him again like transparent cloud so that he hardly noticed it when the breakfast table and dishes were removed only to be replaced with two opposing cushions in stead of chairs. One of them slyly gave him a fan as well but the quarter hanyou merely tossed it over his shoulder. Aijo had seen lords and nobles use fans to gesture with before but he himself did not put much weight on the custom.

Itagaki entered and settled himself on the cushion. He bowed once politely. Aijo noted with a jolt that the general was wearing both his swords.

It was a custom, within castles, not to wear two swords outside of war or ceremony. The wakizashi (short sword) was allowed but the second longer katana was expected to be set aside as a gesture of peace. That Itagaki was fully armed at the moment was cause for anyone to be disquieted. Aijo cast his gaze to the swordstand in the corner where the fang of his father resided. If need be, he could reach it easily.

"So here you are, Lord Takahashi," Itagaki spoke. The older man seemed to meld into the conversation without hostility so Aijo relaxed.

"What brings you here, general?"

"Well, if you had woken up at a reasonable hour today you would have noticed that the entire castle is making preparations to withstand a siege."

"What!"

"It is just as I say. I was on my way to my room to be suited for battle. If you will accompany me to the armory I am certain we can find something for you as well."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" By this point, Aijo was flustered and livid.

"The reason for that would be because you were sleeping. We do not anticipate the attack until afternoon. Prepare yourself for battle, Lord Takahashi. Today may be our very last." At this comment Aijo began to calm.

"You say that like we are outnumbered or something."

"We are outnumbered. Sixty thousand to twenty thousand. The Castle Lord has already rode out to meet the enemy."

"Kur… I mean the Daimyo has? Is he dead yet?'

"Would you like him to be?"

"No. It's just that it seems an awful risky thing to do." Consumed by his own thoughts, Aijo missed the studied look Itagaki gave him.

"Let us depart then. Bring your second sword with you. You will be needing it before the day is out, Lord Takahashi."

Aijo's head was a sea of confusion. He had promised just the other day to defend this castle. He would defend it. He just didn't expect to have to fulfill his promise so soon. More than that, Kuroi had left without him knowing. For some reason, it disturbed him. Aijo found himself thinking back to the day when Kuroi, acting as Castle Lord, had bested him in archery. He had almost been proud of her that day. Afterwards, he had leaned in her doorway and stared into her fathomless eyes. At that moment, Aijo had felt the attraction he had initially felt for her return in full force. Swimming before him came the image of the girl as he had first known her, as an elegant woman in a long flowering kimono. She had seemed so joyous then. So ephemeral.

Aijo shook the image out his head. Excusing himself, he rose to his feet. Almost accidentally the quarter demon found himself outside the quarters of Princess Kuroi. Noami was there just as Aijo knew she would be. The aged woman bowed neatly. She smiled, revealing a few missing teeth. For once, Aijo smiled back at her.

"I am here to see the object of my affection." Aijo said this with a small grin of irony. In response, Naomi slid the passage door open and invited him inside. She tugged the door shut again with her knarled fingers and the two continued on into Kuroi's empty chambers. Naomi sat down on her usual mat. With a gesture, she indicated that Aijo settle as well. He did so, on the opposite side. He stared at the servant unblinking.

Naomi was an elderly woman. Despite having a stooped back and a stiff, shuffling gait she was always to be seen bustling about Kuroi's quarters. Pausing now to think about it, Aijo realized she had a gentle face beneath her wispy hair of gray. The kindness of her face matched her voice also.

"Something troubling you, young lord?" Aijo cleared his throat before answering.

"Mind telling me why the Princess is gone, Old Naomi?"

"I'm sorry to say Kuroi's off to fight another war."

"She really did leave the castle then?"

"Yes. She's such a silly child but there is nothing I can say to her to convince her to behave otherwise. Our little princess has always been such a headstrong person, like her mother I suppose. The late Hime was a very important woman. There was not one person in all this kingdom that did not seek her advice."

"Is that right? I shouldn't worry about her then."

"No, quite the opposite. Your being here has had quite a good affect on our little princess. She never used to be this cheerful. She seems to place a great deal of hope in you."

"I don't know why. It's not like we've ever gotten along or anything."

"Young people seldom do. It takes getting old to become neutral. Young folk are all heels and passion."

"Well if that's it I should be going. Don't want this place to be overrun after all. I just finished repainting the stockhouse."

"Wait, Lord Takahashi. Kuroi said that you were to take Katana with you."

"Of course I'm going to take a sword. Sheesh."

"Not a katana. Katana. She orders that you take her fine two-tail with you."

"What! That monster? Nothing doing." Aijo stood up only to find himself the receiver of a large chomp.

"You! You evil furball!" Aijo whirled around to glare down at a smug neko whom was lashing his tail wildly.

"Excuse me, did you say something dog?

"That's Inuyoukai to you! What the hell do you think you're doing biting me like that?"

"Pretty much anything I want to. Let me tell you, pretty boy. If you touch one hair on Kuroi's head you gotta answer to me, got that?"

"It's not like I'm interested."

"Keep it that way pipsqueak."

"Why, you runty stray!"

"Please, please, keep it down your lordships. Someone will hear you." That quieted the twosome. Naomi took advantage of the moment to hand a large basket to Aijo.

"Here, my lord, this is for Katana to ride in. If you tie the basket onto the saddle you will be able to smuggle Katana in and out of the castle."

"Can't he get out on his own?"

"That's true, but Kuroi always keeps him near her in order to converse."

"In that case I definitely won't be needing the basket."

"Please your lordship, these are Kuroi's wishes."

"All right then." He accepted the basket. Glaring at Aijo evilly, Katana jumped into the basket and disappeared beneath the wicker lid. Feeling dismal, Aijo returned to the outer hallway and found Lord Itagaki waiting for him. He found himself the spotlight of an almost sympathetic stare.

"Giving reassurances to your beloved?"

"Something like that." Aijo brushed by him.

"The armory is this way, Lord Takahashi."

"Ah yes, sorry about that. I won't keep you waiting any longer." The two men started out in the direction of the more public quarters.


	85. Chapter 85

Plumes of mist settled upon a Japanese mountaintop, wrapping murky fingers around a humble, three-tiered castle and all its inhabitants. An emotional gloom also descended. It affected all those living now on the brink of battle, irrespective of the depth of their humanity.

For his part, Aijo wallowed in the gloom as a way to gauge his inward doubts and turmoils. He mired himself in the thought that he knew perfectly well how to get to the armory without the help of Lord Itagaki. As Kuroi's informal serving officer, he had been here nearly everyday checking the shelves and tracking down lost objects. For this reason, the presence of the older man was a bane to him. Still, the act of arguing would cause disorder at this point and the quarter demon was in no mood for confrontation. Swallowing down a puff of the somber air, Aijo followed the middle aged general onto the drizzle washed stone of the second defensive wall (ninomaru) where the castle's most important storehouse might be found.

If not for the fact that it was crammed to the roof with weapons, the armory of which Lord Itigaki had spoken would be no more than an ordinary watch tower (yagura). Poised stoically atop the second defensive wall (ninomaru), it was plainly square. Like all other castle structures, it was foolishly constructed of wood making it vulnerable to flaming arrows, though to its credit the beams were thick. Topped by a slowly sloping roof, the corners of the tower furled like horns to pierce the sky. Arrows slats for hidden archers abounded and a second, miniature floor provided a balcony for viewing the territory all the way down to the glimmering river where cormorant fishermen plied their trade.

Aijo had spent many a sunset atop of this tower. It had given him some consoling sense of freedom to gaze into the wending valley below, past the flat plains deposited by the river to the mountains beyond. It always seemed to him that by watching, he could visualize his feet walking up past the tree-lined hills and into the glittering red sun that called so him with a sweet, immutable song. It seemed to him, in those contemplative moments, that he could actually return home by wrapping himself in the vapors of the slanting rays of the sun. Of course, such thoughts were nonsense and at the end of each meditative bout he always found himself disappointedly still grounded within the confines of Kuroi's manor.

At this given moment, Aijo might have fallen into sullen introspection had it not been for the circumstances. Instead of encountering the silence he had come to expect from this place, Aijo found himself surrounded by an outrageous clamor that bit at his sensitive demonic hearing. Soldiers rushed in a haphazard frenzy, toting bundles of spears and lacquered longbows. Naginatas marched off with their newly appointed owners while long bowstrings were checked by a furious strum. A clattering resounded as a stack of bamboo shields spilled along the sidewalk, causing a group of spearmen to leap away from their panicked cascade.

Aijo and Lord Itigaki pressed on through the swarm of armor-clad bodies. Cautiously, they made their way to the upper story of the tower where forgotten relics were stored. Aijo wrinkled his nose in revulsion as they began to sort through a vast pile of musty chests. Minutes later they discovered the repository of several battered suits whose style had long passed into antiquity. Itigaki lowered his fingers into the box and reverently pulled the newest one out before handing it to Aijo.

"This armor belonged to the grandfather of our current castle lord, in his youth. Do not dishonor it by fighting poorly, young one." Aijo nodded, and sneezed, desperately wishing he had been more thorough in his housecleaning duties.

Taking abrupt leave of Itagaki, Aijo pressed forward eagerly into the hub of activity swirling outside of the watch tower. He had been dressed by the old general in the highly uncomfortable and musty suit which inwardly, he deemed more likely to bring him injury than to shield him from arrows. Already, Aijo's shoulders were scuffing and his fingers twitching from a touch of claustrophobia. Perhaps most disagreeably of all, his long trail of midnight hair had been tethered in a long knot to the back. Aijo scuttled along the stone walkway that swirled with soldiers, hoping to disappear somewhere before old Itagaki found him again. Regrettably, he had no luck. A knot of spearmen barricaded his way. With a suppressed snarl, Aijo recognized the scent of at least one of them to be that of his nightly spies. It seemed to the quarter demon that Kuroi herself was hounding him as he found himself helplessly trapped between her spies and her approaching left hand man. He glared insolently at Itagaki. The lord gazed stonily back.

"In a hurry to go somewhere, Lord Takahashi?" came the burrowing reply. Aijo looked hastily away, the perfect picture of unspoken guilt.

"Just looking around a bit."

"Ah. Yes. Well our lord requested that you stay beside me in this battle as a lieutenant. Are you familiar with what you have to do?"

"N… no not really."

"In that case stay by me and fight as I order."

"Um…Yes sir?" he tried hesitantly.

"Yes sir!" Itagaki corrected with a near demon-like growl. Aijo spent the next few minutes trying to pound down his inward aggressions before his pupils had the chance to turn scarlet. Hemmed in by the very humans he least trusted, Aijo became part of a moving crowd. Hundreds of men drew out of the thousands to take up station with him at the outer moat delineating the boundary of the sannomaru (third circle or outermost portion of the defended castle).

Curiously enough, throughout the entire ordeal Aijo had managed to keep a hold of the basket containing Katana. So far no one had said anything about his curious acquisition. Even more thankfully, Princess Kuroi's two-tailed neko youkai had yet to make a single verbal emission. The silence was golden. Looking down at the basket, Aijo caught sight of a pair of fiery red eyes peering through the crack at the top. Aijo pressed the flap down nervously.

"Princess Kuroi has given you her brother's basket," Lord Itagaki finally observed. "That is well for you but poor for our lordship. He has always said that it brings him good luck in battle."

"Do you know what is in it?" Aijo asked brow furrowing. Itagaki shook his head in dissonance.

"Your betrothed insists that his lordship follow the custom of their father and grandfather. The exact details are secret to the family itself."

"I see. Well don't worry. I will fight well for her, my little princess." Without preamble, Aijo set the basket upside down on the ground so that it would be impossible for the spying youkai to use the flap. Humming wickedly, he selected a longbow for himself.

With the receding mists came the flash of gunpowder. Aijo felt, rather more than saw samurai falling all around him and before him at the distant reach of his arrow. The first beats of the taiko yaku (war drummer) simmered into his conciousness. They fought. The fury was abrupt and yet predictable all the same. The only thought that tugged at Aijo's conscious as he tried to concentrate was this: that he had never killed a human before. Yet it seemed that the months prior had prepared him for this, also the expectations of all those who surrounded him. As the first arrow left his fingers with a mighty twang he left seeing them as victims, or as non-demons. No longer were they humans weaker than he. Standing there by fortressed moat, for a moment Aijo forgot his father had ever been a hanyou. For a moment, he thought he was only human as they were. On equal terms, they fought with death felling them on either side for some inexplicable purpose. With his part human heart, he half realized that he was hoping to see it to the end, to see which of the two sides remained standing, with life as the only true prize. Which side colliding at this mighty fortress, those within or those without, would live to make decisions and to father children, indirectly creating the future by which all humankind will live? Which side of this war would determine what it meant to be human?

Reaching the end of his arrows, Aijo stopped to gaze down the sidelines toward his fellow fighters and his eyes caught on two young men probably the same age as he. Trickles of sweat ran the face of one of them and he wiped it away. The other caught his eye and smiled. Then all returned their attention to the fight wearing a congenial smile. Taking up a fresh quiver of arrows from a page running back and forth, Aijo notched a new arrow and fired.

The enemy milled, black and furious beyond their walls. Gunfire and arrows rained down them all while horses climbed unsuccessfully to take the moat. Bridges were fashioned and the wallwork breeched. Aijo watched thoughtlessly as the enemy found the stair and poured upwards like a tremulous stream to collide into a competing tributary, except here the combination created death not renewal. The outnumbered defenders began to contract as hundreds fell to a slurry of swords, pikes, and a deadly hailstorm of arrows. A shrill bark sounded and Aijo turned to see Lord Itagaka waving his saihai (tasseled signaling fan). A wave of defenders began to withdraw in response, leaving Aijo alone at the outer wall. A cruel smile curled at Aijo's lips. Withdraw? He had not laid a fist on the enemy yet.

Aijo might have stood there for a good while longer had it not been for interference. The two young men he had seen before crept up behind him and began pulling at his arms. He let them haul him away but not before glancing at the basket Naomi had given him. Katana, the neko youkai, had vanished.

"Takahashi? Lord Takahashi?" Absently, Aijo attended to the voice that called out to him over the pounding of his demon blood.

"Snap out of it, samurai."

"Huh?" Aijo finally became aware that he was listening. He distinctively felt someone thumping his back.

"Hey there. This is your first battle isn't it? You just froze up."

"Huh?" He could hear the young samurai chuckling.

"Knew it. I don't know how you managed to be a lord and go without fighting for so long. I saw my first battle when I was twelve."

"Eight," Aijo could hear the other one saying. "I was born and bred a samurai." There was a considerable amount of pride laced into the statement.

"Well that's enough. We better be off. We're defending the ninomaru (second circle)."

Aijo recovered his senses enough to follow the two young samurai. They fled, skirting around clusters of the enemy to make it to their allies. Aijo vaguely had the remembrance of using his sword to repulse them, but he was too busy watching his companions to take note of it. The two men danced, mirthfully forcing their way through the attackers. Reaching the second barricade, a rope was tossed to them and they clambored up it. A friendly a hand or two from their compatriots aided them. Aijo turned his eyes upwards to glimpse the first man making an impatient gesture for him to follow. Out of compliance, Aijo gave a violent shove to the enemy he was inattentively fighting. Then, sheathing his sword, he leapt to the top of the wall with one clear jump. Instead of finding the twosome, his eyes fell on his commanding general. Lord Itagaki looked down on him with a furious scowl. His tone as he spoke was even more livid.

"Lord Takahashi! Come before me!" Impulsively, Aijo raised a clawed finger and pointed it to the direction of the horizon.

"Look over there!" Itagaka looked and in a moment the quarter demon was gone.

Panting from sheer exhileration, Aijo wove amongst the crowd in pursuit of the two young samurai. He found them both standing by the entrance to the second circle. The ninomaru marked the boundary to the actual castle itself. Here, forty-foot tall walls of stone surrounded two gates set at a ninety-degree angles. To get in, one would have to pass through a hailstorm of arrows and stone.

"They won't be able to get in for hours." Aijo sat down by his unnamed companions. For the first time he truly took note of their appearance.

Both were young, only eighteen or even seventeen. Their armour and helmets bore no trace of westernization. For this reason one of them wore the same, traditionally antlered helmet Aijo did, and for this he was grateful. The first, more authoritative one had very thick eyebrows and a rugged, angular nose. It was almost as if it had been broken once, then mended in the wrong the direction. A duo of scars traced along his cheekline and burrowed into his cheek. He fidgeted with his weapons and armor purposefully. The habit gave Aijo the opportunity to see that all his hair but his topknot were shaved, since he removed his helmet to adjust it.

The second samurai, still bearing a mirthful expression, lacked all of the nervous habits. A headband lashed back the hair not captured by his topknot. Unlike his companion, no scar marred his boyish features. Aijo could not help but notice however that he was missing two fingers from his sword hand. Likely, it was the result of a swordfight gone wrong. Excitement sparkled in his eyes irregardless and Aijo recalled mildly that this was the one whom had proclaimed he was a samurai "born and bred". Both peered down into the courtyard between the two gates with an unrestrained excitement.

"My name is Hideyuki Ishigaki, by the way," said the samurai with boyish features. "My family serve as captains. My Great Uncle is even junior general to lord Itagaki." He tossed small clay jar to Aijo which proved to be full of sake.

"I am Tsutomu Ueda. I have the honor of being part of a long line of samurai serving this household as attendants.

"Don't forget exceutioner," said Hideyuki coughing. "His brother is official headcounter here."

"Should I be congratulating you on this?" Aijo cast a bold gaze on Tsutomu and received a broad grin for it.

"I wouldn't, my lord. You are Lord Takahashi, right? The one who's going to marry our Princess?"

"Seems that way." Aijo frowned bitterly. Shaking his head, he gulped down several mouthfuls of sake and returned the jug to Ueda. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Seems you don't look forward to it," Tsutomu noted.

"No." Aijo answered dryly, then stood up to see how far the enemy had progressed in breaking down the first gate. At the moment the thick door was splintering and it would not be long now before they found themselves the most vulnerable.

"Speaking of Itagaki, Kuroi's going to be pissed as hell if I don't get back to him. See ya." With a wave of his hand, the quarter demon was off.

Aijo slowly made his way through the throngs of samurai with their bulky weapons and armor. Annoyed by everything, Aijo came to stand behind Itagaki just as the most terrifying scream the quarter demon had ever heard in his life was cast. Hair prickling at the back of his neck, Aijo flung himself to the balcony rail to a tangle of humans being slowly burned alive by molten tar. To his horror struck eyes, more heated tar was being cast from the stonework. It landed on boys who were no more than children to the quarter demon's eyes.

"Stop it!" Aijo could hear himself shouting. His claws dug deep into the fortress wall and he could see Itakagaki turning to stare at him with distrustful look.

"Stop it! They are only weak mortals! You call yourself human!"

Aijo's words made little break in the stillness since too many were caught up in the fighting to hear his words, but Itagaki did. Ignoring the old general and the open mouthed stares of Hideyuki and Tsutomu, Aijo swung himself up over the crowd and then barreled directly through them, causing one man to plummet. Entirely not caring, Aijo ripped out his sword made from his father's fang and used it to sever the pewter cauldrons containing heated oil. Hundreds of men bunched on the wall or fled to escape the outflowing oil. Aijo simply stood there, watching the black liquid ooze away.

"Kill the traitor!" A harsh shouts sounded and a half dozen arrows imbedded themselves near Aijo. Leaping, he narrowly avoided a half dozen more by turning a summersault in the air. The next batch he deflected using his arm to snap the shafts as they approached him.

It was then that Aijo realized he was caught, between two enemies and two promises. There was nothing left to do but to follow the wild murmurings of his heart and he followed them. Racing down to the castle stables with an inhuman speed, he burst open the barn doors and vaulted, scaring all the horses. Sniffing wildly, Aijo sought the one beast with whom he had familiarity and found two instead.

"Hello Aijo," said Katana, tail switching, as he stared down from a horse's saddle. The horse was, of course, Princess Kuroi's prized warhorse. It was the very same horse Aijo had used during his archery competition with the castle lord.

"You aren't thinking of sneaking away now are you?" said Katana. The two-tail jumped off the horse's saddle and his dainty feet landed only to turn into the roots of some very substantial trunks. A fully empowered neko youkai roared at the quarter demon, brandishing its foot-length fangs.

"I don't have time for this," seethed Aijo. When the two-tail launched itself he ducked and grabbed it from below. Seconds later, Katana went flying and landed in a crumpled heap against one of the post beams. Growling reassuringly, Aijo swung up onto the horse with whom he had an understanding. The horse and rider galloped out of the barn just as Katana managed to get up and Aijo slammed the door closed. A hand disappeared into a coat and Aijo pulled out a single sutra. He pasted it on the stable door trapping Katana inside.

More arrows found their way to the quarter demon and a few actually made it to his back. Ignoring the wounds, Aijo pulled out his father's fang and used to blast away the castle door. Reverbrating silence came after as he rode through the dust.

Everybody stared. Itigaki stared. Kuroi's people stared. Kuroi's enemy stared. Even the sun itself seemed to stare down at him too as it hung overhead without even a single cloud to obscure it. The quarter demon began speaking.

"I made a vow," he said loudly. "A vow to protect this fortress. But how and why I protect it are my business. I will destroy you today, for Princess Kuroi. But I will make sure your death is swift and of a manner of my own choosing!" So saying, Aijo goaded his horse and met them. He fought, his eyes glowing feral red while the rest of castle looked on. The blade given to him by the dog godess arched, and swept through man after man with a crimson spray of blood. He fought on, even after his horse tripped and scrambled away. He fought, losing all sense of time and purpose, hearing only the heavy, heady drum of his demon blood. A thousand fell, and Aijo had the dullen sense that Hideyuki and Tsutomu had joined him, followed by others. A disorderly advance poured forth from the castle gates. The enemy fled, only to be pared down further by Kuroi's army blocking their retreat. It was true that many got away. But with equal reality, it was true that Kurois' castle remained intact. For this reason, today's battle became a victory.

Tired and bleeding, Aijo allowed himsef to be led back to his own quarters. He was bound up so tightly it was hard to breath against the bandages but he paid it no mind. Wearily, he shut his eyes and stared at the absence within. He waited, anxiously, for the moment that Kuroi came tiptoeing in.

"Are you happy?" he said loudly not bothering to open his eyes. "I protected your home for you. I protected your family. Are you happy that I killed for you?" Aijo could hear the Princess kneeling next to his side and she held his hand.

"Yes, I am very happy," she said gently. "You have lived up to your promises admirably."

"Did I do the right thing today?" Aijo asked even more softly.

"The important thing is that we fight, whether we live or die. The same is true for them also." Kuroi laid down his hand and took up a wet cloth. She pressed it against his forehead.

"You have proven yourself trustworthy. I will dismiss the spies since I know that they bother you." Aijo heard the Princess rise, then the soft swoosh of the door shutting after her.

Aijo fell asleep. Indeed, he slept so soundly that he did not hear Princess Kuroi come again, this time dressed in her princess robes. Kneeling, she bent to kiss him on his forehead.

"Oh Aijo, I'm so sorry for what I asked you to do." Tears ran from the princess's eyes and she tiptoed away again quietly.

Historical notes (got this info from various places including Wilkipedia):

In feudal Japan, a drum known as the taiko was used to motivate troops, set a marching pace and to call out orders and announcements. The taiko yaku (or drummer) was responsible for setting the marching pace often with six paces per beat. According to historical chronicles, nine sets of five beats would summon an ally to battle, while nine sets of three beats, sped up three or four times was the call to advance and pursue an enemy.

The sahia is a tasseled signalling fans. Commanders waved and pointed them to signal troop movements, similarly to a gunsen or folding war fan. Such fans could be carried at the waist. If not in actual combat, it might be prominently hung on a ring on the chigakushi (upper part of the breastplate), or fastened it to the cords of the hikiawase (the opening point of the body armour).

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Aijo (Inuyasha's first born son) is an original character, as well as Princess Kuroi and various others. There are no historical characters and any name belonging to an actual person out there is completely accidental and doesn't refer to them. Additional Note: Would anyone mind being my beta? I have no one to edit my stuff but myself and I just know there are tons of errors I can't see, especially since I don't have an English background. I just like to play around! According to my stats, a grand total of 74 people read the last chapter so it may or may not be worth it.


	86. Chapter 86

Inuyasha and I share one thing in common. That is that though it is a curse to exist, it would be unfair to those who think well of us to even think of vanishing. For Inuyasha, it was his parents. For me, it has always been those who look up to me as a role model or exemplary (damn I hate being sooooo like Kikyo). For this reason, I'm in a b' of a mood today. But happily for all of you, I have a bit of a break to Aijo's little adventure that I wrote a long time ago. I wrote it back when I was drafting the major plotline two summer's ago so it's cute and sweet and fluffy. Enjoy (I hope)! Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko, Sunrise, and Shonen Jump have that honor. And yes, demons can get sick. Bounsa did, and Inuyasha when he was a pup.

Several mountain ranges away from Kuroi's castle, in a small village rife with an assortment of hanyous, demons, youkai-taijii, and humans of exemplary spiritual power, life continued as usual. Old Priestess Kaede hobbled to her door, feeling the stiffness that was common to her from waking up on a comfortless tatami mat. The mild pain caused her eyebrows to crinkle. Yet she disregarded it all the same.

Kaede smiled as her eyes fell upon a tiny village girl so young as to need baby-sitting just as much as she herself needed minding with her ancient body. A gentle, kind-hearted grin flickered upon Kaede's otherwise stern face. A smooth, youthful hand intertwined with her calloused, wrinkled one, and Kaede allowed herself to be guided to the wild gardens of nature. To her gratitude, it was a brilliantly sunny and vibrant day.

Stand after stand of bold flowers flooded the fields. Many of Inuyasha's friends and family were outside to enjoy them. Nearly all of the pack was there that day. Yasuo, for instance, had taken up temporary residence beneath their picnic tree. Idly, he petted Kilala. It was obvious Yasuo was in an anxious state, since he unwittingly gnawed off the ends of several dozen pencils. The reason why remained mysterious to practically everyone, but the nervousness turned to anger as Uruwashii used a transformation trick to get on his bad side. The female kitsune decided to celebrate the celestial blessings of the day by transforming into a leaf and drifting down to engulf Aijo's practice college entrance exams in a spire of flames.

Directly behind Sango and Miroku's hut, the monk and demon slayer lounged in the sunshine with their family. Sango's triplets rolled and played, along with more recent additions. For Sango, it had been one pregnancy after another following the triplets and she was content with it that way.

Inuyasha's adopted son and their longtime companion, Shippo, romped with Sango's children as well. He was less frolicsome than his juniors because he had taken it upon himself to watch Sumire for the afternoon. Kagome's youngest child, a daughter, was only a tender infant hanyou. For this reason Shippo spent most of the afternoon showing Sumire little things like how he could spin a top or how to wiggle her dog-ears. Sango and Miroku both gave recognition that he was a very dutiful brother.

Somewhere in the forest nearby, Sango's eldest son, Kohaku, tromped through vines. He did so with a very serious expression. Surprisingly, the young demon-slayer-monk held up a handful of flowers. It was his secret that he wanted to find the perfect bouquet to show Uruwashii when he asked her to marry him tonight. A nervous but giddy grin crossed his features.

Contrary to the others, Inuyasha and Kagome were not outdoors enjoying the sunshine. Instead, a cacophony of sneezes could be heard from the village hut where the hanyou couple resided with most of their children. A dozen tissues lay scattered about the room. Kagome lay abed with a cold she had caught from visiting demons. Meanwhile, Inuyasha ran smoothing circles along her back, his fingertips caressing so that it tickled.

"Shh," the hanyou murmured while lacing his finger through her sweaty bangs. "Take it easy. I'm not goin' anywhere until you feel better."

Kagome flicked up an ear and spoke without turning. Her throat was rusty, gravelly, so that words came out as coarse as debris from crumbling sidebanks. The gentle press of Inuyasha's palm against her shoulder stilled any movement she might have made so she lay there quietly. Kagome spoke, mumbling against her fever.

"Inuyasha, the anniversary of our mating is coming up soon. Mama was hoping that maybe we could have Western-style wedding as a sort of renewal ceremony."

"Renewal ceremony?" Inuyasha frowned, never ceasing the action of his fingers which had now taken to rubbing her shoulders as she slumped, pale and seemingly fragile.

"Um hum. It's called 'retaking the vows'. Sometimes it's a good way to celebrate an anniversary though it would actually be our first human wedding." Inuyasha grinned, his lip curling back a bit to reveal an amused fang.

"Well I have a lot better ideas for how to celebrate our anniversary."

"I know Inuyasha," Kagome broke in stubbornly. "But this is something I wanted to do for Mama. It would mean a lot to her."

"Well, if that's so then I suppose we could do it," Inuyasha soothed. "Now stop worrying about such things. Lie back and get some rest."

Kagome turned so that her front was no longer clutched against the pillows. Instead she lay upon her back while she looked at the ceiling. With a delayed realization she found a wet cloth pressed against her forehead. Joyous, she shut her eyes against its coolness.

"Inuyasha?" she murmured. "The vows are… to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, through good times and bad, to love and to cherish, for as long as you both shall live."

"I can do better," was the softly spoken reply as her hanyou laced his fingers with hers, leaning over her to look into her eyes.

"For the first part, how about I promise to mate with you whenever I have the chance to, making it good for both of us. To respect you as my alpha and run together, raising our pups. To keep myself close so my arms are the only ones you need around you. To guard you and our pups with all of my life and strength. To give you my mark. Will that do?"

"How about affection?"

"Keh. That's mushy stuff." Inuyasha grinned and leant over to lay a lingering kiss on her lips. He continued.

"For the second part, of course I'll take care of you if you're sick or wounded. Better than anyone. I'll stick around even if you're damn cranky from having pups in you. When you're possessed even."

Kagome blinked up at him while he continued to speak. True, the traditional vows made no account for that condition.

"Of course we're had plenty more bad times than good. But I promise to stay by you even if you pull stupid stunts and get us into trouble. I'll fight alongside you no matter how strong the demon. I'd die fighting along beside you Kagome."

"But what about other bad things?" said Kagome so softly as to barely be audible. "What about Kikyo, or Sango, or when your demon blood is out of control?" Inuyasha's head lowered in shame.

"I'll make sure nothing like that ever happens again."

"I hope so," Kagome teased while tickling the underside of his chin. "But it's not like you can help it. I just want you to know that even if it happens, irregardless of what did happen, I'll try to be there for you. I won't abandon you Inuyasha, if bad things happen and you can't help it."

"Kagome," Inuyasha whined plaintively. "It's not like I want you to. But even if you should cheat on me with Kouga I couldn't help it. I would be right here waiting for your love."

"This is exactly where I want to be, Inuyasha," said Kagome wrapping her arms snuggly around his neck as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Would you love me even if I was slain by Naraku?"

"That's not going to happen. Besides, even if it did I'd get revenge on that bastard a hundred times over.

"But Inuyasha, what if we get run out of the village and are starving and homeless? Would you love me then?"

"Keh. I'd take care of you Kagome. You know I will. Besides, even if every demon and human in existence hated us there'd still be you and me. That's all that really matters, isn't it? No body would get between us. Besides…" Inuyasha's lip began twitching as if he was about to say something he feared to.

"I would love you even if I never got to eat ramen again for the rest of my life." Kagome's eyes grew wide.

"Oh Inuyasha!" She wrapped herself around him and gave him a few, passionate kisses. "That's such a sweet thing for you to say!"

"Keh. Not really." Regardless of his bluff, Kagome clasped his hand and pressed her lips against it. Inuyasha tried his best to look unaffected.

"That's the third part. For the fourth, ah it's not so easy." A blush stained the cheeks of the hanyou but he continued anyway. The words startled the miko as his voice dropped as if letting out a terrible secret. "I will vow to love you always. To never forget that I do. I promise to try to treat you right, Kagome. I want you to be happy." His words had turned into a murmured apology and Kagome stroked his chin as she lay back looking at him.

"So will you love me forever, till the day that I die?"

"Till the day that we both die," corrected Inuyasha. "For I can't stand the thought of living without you." Gently, he leaned over and laid a kiss on her forehead. Then, Inuyasha pulled the blanket up over her to her chin.

"Go to sleep now Kagome. You need your rest." Kagome complied. With a tired yawn she leaned back and drifted away into a gentle slumber. By her side, the son of the Great Dog Demon watched her breathing quietly.

"Don't worry Kagome," Inuyasha thought to himself. "This time, I know, even if I was pinned to the tree again, that nothing could take my love away." Inuyasha blew out the solitary candlelight that bobbed in the room. Smiling, he crept up onto the bed and enfolded Kagome in his arms. He too, fell asleep, lulled by the soft breathing of his mate.


	87. Chapter 87

In an ancient feudal castle, far distant from Kaede's village and any of his relatives, a quarter demon woke to the repugnant chirrup of birds and the sharp glitter of sunshine. He promptly threw a bowl into a tree, knocking a dove free of its branches. Growling, Aijo stomped back to his bed and flomped down on it.

A delicate knock resonated within his chambers and Aijo shuttered. The door rolled back and a feminine fragrance, smelling of wisteria and oils, clouded his perceptions. Without turning, he could tell it was Lady Kuroi that kneeled beside him. Aijo ignored her, pretending to listen to the birds which were now shrieking at him in a very inane language.

"What do you want?" Aijo stated finally.

"I came to witness the injuries of my sister's betrothed. Your temper concerns me. You are not feverish this morning, I hope?

"Cut the crap, castle lord," Aijo said smugly. "I'm in no mood for it."

"Nor am I. But before I leave I must inform you of certain developments."

"Such as?" Kuroi's brow clouded with a look of impatience but it passed.

"Lord Itakagi sends his apologies. He petitioned me to allow him to commit seppuku in repentance of his failures yesterday. I assured him he was not at fault and denied it. He has, however, alienated himself from all visitors and is in mourning."

"Bah. Idiot. I can't believe what sore losers you all are. Talk about not rolling with the punches." Kuroi watched the quarter demon pick the wax from his ear with one finger and grimaced from his lack of manners, as well as his lack of tact.

"Yes, well, I realize our customs are not too agreeable to you."

"Damn right, they're not," Aijo said fuming. He sat up suddenly and whirled around to glare down at Kuroi icily. "I always heard that you feudal lords used tar and stuff but until yesterday I hadn't realized how horrible," Aijo pointed a finger at her, clearly trembling in rage, "and how un-human you are!" Kuroi almost cringed from his remarks.

"I have never liked the use of heated cauldrons myself, Lord Takahashi. I am almost glad that they are gone. But the employ of such weapons is common to every warlord and has been a tradition here since before the castle was complete."

"So you're saying you're gonna make more?" Involuntarily, Kuroi found herself sidling up next to him and pushing down his arm. Quickly realizing her mistake, she moved away again but the damage was done. Aijo dropped his argument and stood staring at her, prepared to listen.

"You have more than stated your disapproval. Moreover, you have demonstrated that you are capable of defending the castle without them. For this reason, I will not replace the cauldrons. As long as you are here, Aijo, I will forbid the use of them. But I can not promise you that I will not use them after you leave. If I did that, there is no way my people and myself would be able to sufficiently protect ourselves."

"So it's a matter of self-preservation is it?" said Aijo, eyebrows twitching.

"Yes. Desperation causes one to act in ways that may seem brutal even to oneself."

"You seem like you've had a lot of time to dwell on this." Kuroi shrugged.

"That may be true."

Aijo breathed out a sticky sigh of relief. His anger at Kuroi faded. Nervously, he ran his fingers through his tangled mane He caught Kuroi staring.

"What?" he asked again a little too loud for his liking. Damn, her scent was getting to him.

"If you are feeling well, you should get out a bit. You may wish to go into town even. It will clear your head from the haze of battle."

"I doubt that will be a problem."

"If that is the case, I will be leaving. You may wish to visit your 'sweet little princess' this afternoon. You are also cordially invited to an evening tea ceremony two days hence. I bid you good day."

Aijo groaned. Of all the things for that fool Itakagi to tell her. Perhaps he should drop by his place and beat some sense into the man, but he knew it would do no good. Rising and tucking a katana into his sash, Aijo prepared to go for a walk.

The banner of sky outside was resplendid, sickeningly so. The putrid smell of recent corpses and spilt blood still permeated the ground. Aijo wisely choose to stay away from the battlefield where sorting and burial were taking place. He shuttered involuntarily at the few bodies he did see. The fact that they were being ravaged by wild dogs was a detail he could not bear considering his part inu heritage.

With a feeling of despondency, Aijo wandered into the small community that had sprung up outside the third gate of the defended castle. Here, merchants whom had no family ties to samurai had created a sort of second society, serving both their formal masters and the more affluent of the general populace. To Aijo's great surprise, much of the small township remained undamaged from the recent warfare although a few buildings had deteriorated into piles of charcoaled ruins. Business had already returned to the street. Those samurai whom were living and not currently standing on duty spent their income in any and all ways imaginable. With the metallic chink of metal passing hands all around him, Aijo suddenly recalled what little he had learned from history class. Long, long ago in the other world he had scorned these same samurai for not realizing sooner that money was the true ruler. By giving it away to the merchants, they were dooming themselves to the ultimate decline and extinction of their kind.

Aijo half determined to keep a tight string on his wallet. But as is often the case with youth (or genuinely insensible people), his mind still bore hypocrisies where reason warred with impulse and no seasoned middle ground had been made. For this reason, Aijo's inhibitions towards spending money drifted away like soap bubble on the wind. As a purported member of the castle daimyo, he had after all received a modest allowance from Kuroi. Instead of saving it as he had first intended, Aijo rapidly found himself indulging in the same vice the other samurai did. He drifted through the many shop fronts eying the glittery items that spoke of a material need. Aijo wondered bemusedly if he should buy a gilded bronze mirror for his mother or maybe a yearling roan for himself. Ultimately, Aijo's stomach made his purchases for him. He ended up spending much of the afternoon sampling one restaurant after another.

Much later, the slanting rays of the late afternoon sun struck a very plump quarter demon. With an airy contentment, Aijo meandered back in the direction of the castle. He looked extremely odd, licking the ends of a teahouse kabob in the same way that a small child would a lollipop. His smile turned to chargrin as two samurai he recognized approached him. Quickly, he tossed the stick away. Hideyuki Ishigaki, the samurai with boyish features, and Tsutomu Ueda, the man with the broken nose, drew nearer.

Hideyuki Ishigaki was smiling as Aijo might have expected. This time, his smile was bright, free from any unnatural strain. It reached into his eyes to twinkle in a carefree manner. Being around him was like being surrounded by playful birds whose stubby wings broke out into short puffs of wind to skirt them around a sunny field. Mildly, Aijo wondered to himself how anyone born a samurai could be so lighthearted. Having been seasoned and formed by the demands of deadly battle, samurai were almost universally a serious, stoic lot. Privately, Aijo dared even to call them stuffy. By far, Tsutomu Ueda lived up more to Aijo's expectations of what a samurai should be. His very appearance breathed rugged in a wholly unsensual way. To his startlement, Aijo found himself being clapped on the shoulder by both the men.

"Lord Takahashi," Tsutomu Ueda said in generous, low growl, "we would be honored if you joined us today in celebrating our recent victory." Aijo reached up and plucked a hand off his shoulder. He gave Tsutomu a studious glare.

"Do you two make it your habit to grab someone who might one day be your castle lord?"

"No offense meant, your lordship," said Hideyuki Ishigaki as easily as if they were talking about crops or the weather, "but we were under the impression that you might be willing to go drinking with us, especially to celebrate our exploits from yesterday."

Aijo thought back to the battle they had weathered. It was true he had been the first to act familiar with these men. Not only had he chosen to sit among them on the castle wall, but he had drunken from the same flask. Moreover, they had all been on a miniature fighting adventure together. Hideyuki and Tsutomu had risked their lives to 'rescue' Aijo when he had stood transfixed by the outer fortress wall. Later, he was almost more than sure that Hideyuki and Tsutomu had been among the first to join him in his maniac charge through the castle gates straight into the multithousand army of the enemy. It was a wonder they were still standing at all. Aijo rapidly turned his frown into a reciprocal smile.

"You're right. I'm new here so I'll be counting on you two to show me the best of this town."

"That's the spirit!" said Hideyuki clapping him on the shoulder. "We've already arranged an appointment with the best of the geishas so I hope you're in the mood to see a bit of dancing."

"I am fond of poetry, myself," spoke Tsutomu senoriously. "But remember you are paying for the geishas. I hired the taikomochi."

Aijo's ears perked up. "A taikomochi? What's that?"

"The male equivalent of a geisha. They tell jokes mostly and do acting. Sometimes they do a bit of soft-shoe." Aijo tried to envision a taikomochi and found that he imagined Miroku doing clogdancing. He shook his head to get rid of the picture.

"To put it another way, they are a professional party goer. It wouldn't be nearly a lively enough party without one. But there is something missing still." The two men looked at each other with conspirative smiles.

"This is where you come in, my good friend." Hideyuki leaned over and wrapped a hand around his shoulders. "We need someone to pay for the room and sake." Quick as a blink, Aijo felt his purse leaving him and Hideyuki began counting out all the coins.

"Oh good," he said winking at him. "This should cover it. Cheap, but it will still buy us a room." Aijo shrugged. He supposed this was the feudal era's equivalent of a cover charge.

A modest amount of curiosity had caught him, so the quarter demon trudged after the two young samurai. Or rather, he walked before them according to their directions since socially, he was of higher ranking. Even this lax twosome followed the social norms of the time almost instinctually.

Hideyuki and Tsutomu led Aijo to a fledgling entertainment district. Here, the more socially debatable forms of entertainment could be found, among these the geisha houses. The young quarter demon almost felt a prick of repentance for what he was getting himself into but he was curious irregardless. His own father would never have let him within a thousand paces of one though Miroku spoke of them fondly when Sango was out of earshot.

He found himself entering through an elaborate doorway and being seated in an even more elaborate waiting area. The soft laughter of women and young girls peppered the air and surrounded him like a warm cloud, making him feel welcome. Aijo was left to examine the rich furnishings and extraordinary carvings as did his companions. Deep, rich natural colors lent quality to this ancient construction that made it into an artpiece, or even a gallery. Calligraphy scrolls abounded in artful alcoves. Decorative, semi-translucent screens and panels provided a comfortable, partially-lit sense of enclosure. Red glowing lanterns also lent affect with their steady, heart-swelling radiance; while smokeless wafts of incense wend themselves into ever-presence.

At long last, a young and not too unfortunate looking geisha appeared and bowed neatly to the group. She escorted them to sliding door near the back; and rolling it open exposed a room wide with tatami mats. Here, a cluster of three geishas beside their escort were sitting with their shamisens. The fourth person present was a man in a possession of a large jug of sake. His eyes met that of Tsutomu and Aijo detected an illusionary high-five.

"Our taikomochi is an old friend of Tsutomu's," Hideyuki explained under his breath. "He had to sell himself into an entertainer's contract since he partied so much. Try not to let it happen to you."

"Ah," was all Aijo said.

After an introduction, one of the geishas settled herself by Aijo' knee. She began to converse with him. She poured him drinks and laughed pleasantly at all the right moments making him feel like the smartest man in the world, which was not entirely truthful. Still, the geisha excelled at her profession and Aijo began to feel laid back, a result of the combination of alcohol and conversation. He bemusedly noted the action when the taikomochi climbed to the stage and began the recital of a skit. Aijo's jaw dropped as the evening continued.

"Wouldn't puns like that get him in trouble?" Aijo said while fingering the edge of his half-drained cup. "I mean those gay jokes might offend a client one day."

"Are you?" Hideyuki asked him. Aijo snorted.

"No. But one day a short-tempered samurai might. How does he know his customers won't kill him?"

"Ah, don't worry about it. Samurai are all alike. Even if they did fancy men, a joke like that would only make them laugh all the harder. It's live it free round here. In fact, behavior like that is less likely to get you illegitimate children."

"Are there a lot of unclaimed children?" Hideyuki nodded his head. "Lots. Sometimes, if they're lucky, their father will recognize them so they can become samurai. If it is a boy that is. If it is a girl, at best they may aspire to be a geisha."

Aijo turned his attention to the low platform where the seated three geishas were gently pricking their shamisen. A low, melodic sound flooded his ears saddening him yet it was equally tinny so that his heart beat with its vibrancy. It all seemed very curious, this circle-filled, dead-end society. It suddenly made sense now, at least in part. One was born and they simply filled the days of the life that was given to them. He was a lord and he would live as one. Like a single song, he completely unimportant to the concerns of time; an immeasured stitch in the tapestry of history's constructs. In all things he was ineffectual and his actions, largely irrelevant.

Gulping down his sake, Aijo turned his attention away from the sorrowing strain. The single insence stick that marked the duration of the party was far from expired, but the afternoon was waning and he felt the urge to return to his place in the castle. Despite the attempts of the geisha to sooth him and turn his troubles elsewhere, Aijo found himself feeling exactly as he had in the bar that one time in the otherworld, the world his mother had come from. With smoke drifting over the barstool and the vapid comments o of his companion lingering over him, he had wondered, truly, what it was he wanted from existence. So far, the exact answer continued to illude him but somehow, instinctively he knew it had something to do with the animosity or even jealously he felt towards his father. Inuyasha, it seemed, had everything. His purpose and glory and life were set, his blood was strong and regal, and he was securely surrounded by loved ones and admirers. Being one of the generation after, Aijo had no comprehension of the pain and trials his father had gone through to reach that point or how much more pain he would still suffer after. But at the base of it all, Aijo was not truly angry because had come to the sullen and absolutely correct conclusion that it all had to do with his insecurity of not having love.

Heaving a heart-sick sigh that might have brought maidens running (and truthfully often did), Aijo heaved himself up from the table. After making his excuses and apologizing for his abrupt entrance, he returned to the shadow-lengthening streets of the entertainment district. As he walked, the abundance of homeless cats slinking about the junk-cluttered allies kept pulling his eyes to the corners and making him picture Kuroi with Katana seated on her shoulder. That damned cat was always a nuisance yet Aijo could not bring himself to hate him completely. If he did, it would mean completely hating her.

Aijo still had to pay a visit to Kuroi after all, so he took himself up to the castle but he did not go to her room directly. The quarter demon stopped by his room first. Here, he commanded servants to bring in a waterbasin and he took the time to clean himself. Using the bit of water, he scrubbed his hands and face clean. It would have to do until he could arrange a proper bath.

A modest trepidation hung in the air when Aijo entered Princess Kuroi's quarters. Old Naomi let him in silently and their footsteps sounded hollow as the crossed the floor to Kuroi's room. There she sat, at the far end, lifting coin-sized pieces as she played go.

Aijo came and sat at the other side of the board with her. Kuroi raised an eyebrow and reshuffled the board so they could play together properly. Wordlessly, she gave him the black stones so he might go first.

"You went out," she observed, casually. Aijo's shoulders slackened.

"I took some time to enjoy the town. Then some samurai invited me to see some geishas. Are you angry with me?" Kuroi's brow lifted.

"Should I be?" She picked up a stone and placed it.

"You might have." To this, Kuroi shook her head.

"Even I have hired a geisha before. As the castle lord of course. Although I prefer to summon them to the palace." The air became still again, both of them contemplating on their move so she spoke again.

"It is good for you to go out and enjoy yourself."

Both of them abandoned conversation then and minded only their game. It took serveral hours of companiable silence before Kuroi managed to outwit him and bring the game to closure. When the territory was measured and all prisioners accounted for, Kuroi had won by two and half points. She let the smooth stones trickle through her hands, cascading like jems of water.

"Would you stay for a while and tell me about yourself?" Aijo shrugged at the request.

"I am Aijo." Kuroi's brows furrowed at such a simplistic answer so he continued.

"My mother was a human when I was born. She had been, and still is a powerful miko, for reasons beyond our understanding. The villagers say she is a tennyou and for that they would be right. She is able to journey to her world still."

"My father is hanyou. He is a powerful warrior and has defeated many strong enemies. His father, my grandfather, was the taiyoukai known as the Lord of the West. For this, he is of royal blood as am I but it really doesn't matter. He is immortal, and I am not."

"Is there anyone else like you?"

"My brother, Yasuo. He is quarter demon. I have a sister as well, a hanyou named Sumire. She is but an infant yet. My adopted brother, Shippo, is full-blooded demon. He is father's heir." Aijo cleared his throat at her look of askance.

"My Uncle, Sesshomaru explained it to me. He placed Shippo's tooth on the family strand first. Father did not know what he was doing but to demons, the meaning was clear."

"Are you angry about this?" Aijo shook his head fervently.

"It is for the best. The Tetsusiaga should remain out of human hands. I am only mortal after all and would die too quickly."

"Aijo." The touch of sympathy almost warmed him but was like to stardust and left him shivering. A steadying hand came to rest against his.

"You do not need to feel like an outcast, Aijo. You are only coming home to be here with us like this. You have said yourself that you are mostly human." For once, he did not push her away.

"How about you? What about your family?"

"There isn't much to tell. My mother was hime here. She loved my father, my brother, and her daughter very much. But life for this family is always difficult. It was all they could do keep invaders out of the castle and in time all of them were swallowed by the conflict. Illness claimed my mother during one of the seiges; father sustained a poisonous wound that ate him slowly; and my brother simply never came back."

"Is it always this way for warring families?"

"Mostly, I think." Aijo breathed a sigh of exasperation.

"So how has your war gone? Do you think they will return again?"

"I know they will," said Kuroi softly. "That is why I am going to make a move on them first and ambush them in the mountain."

"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" Kuroi arched her eyebrows at him.

"It is a little risky. I can not spare many from defending the castle here, even after we repair the doors you knocked down." A peculiar smile twinged at the side of her tight-drawn lips.

"Then I'm going with you," Aijo blurted out suddenly. Kuroi paused to study him.

"Would you?"

"Keh. Somebody's got to look out for this castle's lord. I don't want all the work to fall on my shoulders." Kuroi's twitching smile returned.


	88. Chapter 88

The rain descended effortlessly on the mass of men and horses, reflecting off of armor in a sideways motion. Saddles creaked and the slop of mud scorned those who strived to get out of it, sliding backwards messily along the precarious slope.

An unexpected rainstorm had overtaken Kuroi's army as they tried to surmount a steep pass. Yet Kuroi was apathetic, remaining unshaken even as beads of water danced on her fingers and ran down her outstretched arm to run beneath her straw raincoat. Sniffling beneath her straw cap, she caught the attention of Aijo. She looked away as he turned wide eyes with highlights of concern dancing in them upon her. Aijo was relieved when she ceased her gesturing, words lost to the wind, and hid her hands against the saddle again.

Kuroi's former warhorse, now Aijo's infamous charger, was the quarter demon's sole companion for this journey. Despite his growing acceptance of Kuroi, her generals and lieutenant generals were crowding her time. Perhaps it was a good thing that it was so, for Aijo could not help but see a feminine figure beneath the armor now, the truth of her soul undressing her before his very eyes.

It was a sodden relief when at last they stopped to make camp beneath a stand of pines, hidden within some corner but not a dead-end. Sharp gray stone cliffs rose to one side and Aijo could not help but look up them wishing to fly. Maybe after everyone in camp had gone to sleep he would finally have a chance to go running. The tops of the trees looked particularly inviting with their savage, buoyant sway.

Aijo set to work dragging a pile of brush together and lit it, carefully, to warm himself with. Other men added to the fire so he left it to them, sparing a glance every now and again to where rice was cooked and men huddled beneath their straw capes. A gentle murmur rippled through discontented horses and Aijo growled softly, moving toward them. The quarter demon drifted among the horses carefully, listening to their gusty complaints before lifting each hoof up. Patting the broad nose of his own warhorse, he gave it a handful of grain before it snorted heavily, sending a great cloud of steam into the damp, misty air. Although it seemed in discomfort there was nothing Aijo could do for it but move him back further into the shelter of pines.

The smell of demons was in the air. It intermingled with the warm, musky scent of humans, making Aijo uneasy. It would not have been so bad if the scent had belonged to a peaceful tribe of animal spirits. But instead of the ordinary, calming woodland scents there was a fetid presence, a stinging rank that made it almost certain that these were man-eating demons. Aijo wrinkled up his nose at the stench and pushed it away from the edge of his senses. He would have to tell Princess Kuroi.

There was no time for a private word. The banner tent of the warriors was set up quickly and the company of samurai huddled within, gazing at the sizzling fire. Aijo became restless and removed himself from the group. He would have to track down the demons on his own. Silently, he slipped into the cascading rain.

Cautiously, Ajio lowered himself to kneel on the dark body of the forest's leaf-strewn floor. He sniffed, his interest flickering back and forth between the steady rain and his scent-stained surrounding with its puzzlements. Using skills learned as a demon's son, he tracked. The light scent of the demons may have all but washed away and the leaf litter settled neatly into piles, but Aijo managed to trace the demons to a ridge all the same. It was unexpected when he came across the enemy's camp sheltered beyond the low rise.

Aijo prowled the corners of campsite. Without the significance of a whisper, he leapt from tree to tree, staring down into the fire-bright ring and its clustered shading by bulky shadows. With a "tsk" under his breath he settled himself back against a tree branch to watch the mortals resting. The night for him remained penciled in absolute clarity so he observed amusedly as they went about their normal business, eating food and chatting quietly. An air of careless sleepiness surrounded all. The wind shifted, drawing off the quarter demon's scent. When the opposing army's horses began to fidget, Aijo decided it was time to go.

A folded whisper of fabric disturbed the calm as Aijo pushed back the curtains of the Princess Kuroi's war tent. Here, no ceiling offered shelter from the heavens above but at least the sides kept off emissives. The men were resting quietly and Kuroi was almost nodding when Aijo found her.

"I need to speak with you, Castle Lord." Aijo spoke with a rare sort of modesty and her interest was piqued.

"What is it?"

"Follow me and I will show you."

Kuroi trailed after the quarter demon. The temperature dropped away from the firering where her windless seat had been. She shuttered involuntarily as the shrill wrapped around her shoulders in erratic pulses. She faltered only to find herself bumping into Aijo who stopped. His body heat seemed to blast across her as he stood before her with his shoulders squared. He kneeled.

"Get on. We have a long distance to travel and this will get us quickly."

Kuroi dismissed her misgivings. Instead, she wrapped her fingers around his strong shoulders and pulled herself on. It was awkward, and as he stood up she nearly fell off especially because vest and guards prevented her from leaning close to him; but Kuroi was light and managed it all the same. Aijo's hands crept up the sides and held onto her below the buttocks. Her breath cast in embarrassed gasps.

"Hold on tight and don't get scared. We'll be in the trees, all right?" Kuroi had no chance to answer before the ground simply left her and she found herself bobbing amidst a sea of leaves. She could hear limbs creak and their indignant shaking, but other than that she was lost adrift in the saturated wind blowing past her face, the darkness shrouding her, and the desperate pressure of his hands against her. They stopped just outside the other campsite.

"Down there," Aijo said. He gestured after letting her descend slowly. "They were not going through the pass after all."

"This means that they were planning a counter ambush. They knew we were coming."

"Yes."

"Thank you for showing me this."

"It's more than that. There are demons here too."

"Demons?" Kuroi felt the back of her neck prickling.

"Only those whom prey on the battlefield. They will wait until the battle is over then feed on the dead and injured."

"I see. So those demons are here because of us?"

"Probably. Come on."

Aijo extended a clawed hand toward her and Kuroi took it. It was like they were returning from another world as the re-entered their own camp. The Castle Lord immediately gave orders for her army to depart.

In the stealth of the night, they struck back down the mountainside. They rode on in the quiet of a moonless night. It was so silent Aijo fought back the urge to yell or howl just to hear some noise himself. Then the somber swish of water as it was forded accosted his senses. They had reached the swamp that pooled at the bottom of the incline. Aijo knew it was an uneasy, unsafe place to be.

Violence exploded. The terrified shriek of horses resounded as they were pulled down into the blackened water. Aijo pulled out his sword and leapt down onto the back of one of the flailing horses. A quick decision was made and he dove down into the water to sever a hand holding it. Aijo rose the surface and struck again, slicing lengthwise through another kappa that clung onto one of the samurai. A sputtered gratitude was offered yet Aijo ignored him. Instead, his nose began twitching as an wholesome and angry aura began to cloak the swamp and something rose from the waters below.

"An oni!" a hundred different voices cried. A collective gasp rose as the midnight black creature unseated the Castle Lord and held him close in his hand. Aijo was suddenly very afraid for the Kuroi. The thought had barely crossed his mind when the false prince was swallowed.

"You bastard!" Sweeping out the sword made from the fang of his father, Aijo slammed into the demon. A savage blow to the chin caused it to stagger back and Aijo was on it, blasting a dozen blows. The oni roared in anger. Raising a clenched fist, it hit the quarter demon so that he skid across the water like a large stone. Aijo found himself on the opposite shore to where humans milled. Blinking slop out of his eyes, Aijo rose bruisedly. When the oni pursued him, he roared his own battle cry and leapt. The sword swung with a sharp "sching" until it met bone and flesh. Aijo carved out the ribcage with a sickening chunk. Slicing down through the body with his demonic claws, Aijo found himself looking directly into Kuroi's exposed breasts.

"Damn it!" Darkness and pandemonium still reigned in the night so no one noticed as he bundled the unconscious princess into his arms and bolted for the trees.

"Damn it!" Aijo repeated to himself. Gently, he lay the sleeping princess upon the ground and stripped off her armor, sizzling with acid. More acid remained so he picked her up bridal style and rushed to a hidden bank to wash her. For once, Aijo was immensely grateful when Katana arrived, having stolen away from his saddle basket. He was more than happy to comply with the two-tailed neko's demands that he tie Kuroi snugly on his back so that he might fly her home to Old Naomi. He never thought he would be so grateful, as he was grateful, to see her fly far off into the distance.

With a heavy sigh, Aijo shook off his fang-sword and slid it into the scabbard. He trudged back to where the Lord Itagaki and Lord Yamagata had come to examine the body of the felled demon. To his surprise they were prying the mostly dissolved bones of a previous victim from its stomach. All the men present were weeping. He felt very self- conscious as everybody, from Lord Itagaki and Lord Yamagata to Hideyuki and Tsutomu kneeled before him. It was Lord Yamagata who spoke first.

"Lord Takahashi. Will you lead us?" Eyes flickered upon the stricken. Thinking of Kuroi, Aijo lost all uncertainty.

"I will." Fear made its way for inspiration as everyone exulted the new daimyo.

Returning to the castle, Aijo began to fear Kuroi's reaction when she woke. It occurred to him what an action of madness he had taken for no sooner had he returned to the castle than his wedding to Princess Kuroi been announced and he himself been fitted with a montsuki kimono, a short haori overcoat bearing the Inuyoukai family crest, and a pair of pleated hakama pants. Since he would be marrying into a woman's household, he would take her family name. That is assuming there was a wedding, of course.

Aijo was becoming panicked. If ever there was a time to flee it was now, undoubtably. Yet, now that so many people depended on him, Aijo could not bring himself to desert them. If he left, Kuroi would lose her holdings to one of her generals. New laws coming from Kyoto had abolished the sovereignty and inheritance of female heirs so it was inevitable, if Kuroi did not marry, that either her holdings would be passed onto a different male supporter of her brother, or be taken in tax by the Emperor. Either option would lead to her absolute ruin. Beyond that, the political turmoils of the region were by no means diminished. Without clear leadership it was only a matter of time before the guarded castle fell, with all the death and destruction that came with it. For this reason, Lord Takahashi, now known generically as the "Daimyo", found himself nodding at a tailor as he examined the shiro-maku (traditional white wedding kimono) made for the occasion. With the tilt of a fan, Aijo ordered that the tailor be paid. He then grimaced at the thought of Kuroi's revenge.

It had been two days now and Kuroi had not awakened. Old Naomi kept others away on the pretext that the Princess had a small cold and for this Aijo was grateful. Since preparations had already begun for the wedding, Aijo was forbidden to see Kuroi but he continued to pass notes secretly to Old Naomi, hoping, perhaps vainly that the princess would not outright murder him when she woke up. He admitted as much in the notes he gave her, arguing that he had acted only in her best interests and that he did not hold to anything. If anything, he was more than willing to disappear (of his own methods of course).

It was a great surprise to Aijo when he received a poem involving a crane and the sanctity of marriage. Aijo read and reread the single line of kanji Kuroi had scrawled below it. "You are wise," Kuroi had written. The message left him somewhat relieved but equally confused. Was Kuroi implying she wanted to marry a quarter demon?

He sent a letter back, sneakily of course, and was shocked by the reply. "I will do what I must," was the answer. It would seem that the son of Inuyasha now had a wife.

The ceremony occurred two weeks later after Kuroi had sufficiently recovered. Noami reassured him that she was well physically but understandably sorrowed. A lot had changed for the young Princess ever since she had lost her false identity. It was dubious she would ever enjoy such freedom again. The rulership duties she had cherished had left her as well though as a married woman she would be responsible for household accounts and look after the sewing of kimonos. As a noblewoman, it was not in Kuroi's expectations to ever marry for love.

Yet, when Kuroi first appeared before him dressed in her wedding kimono, Aijo saw her give him his first, tender smile. With a jolt, he realized the happiness seemed to extend to her eyes and that perhaps this was first time he had ever seen her that Kuroi had not been acting. Trembling nervously, he kneeled on the pillow next to her.

The shrine they had come to was an ancient one. It had been disassembled and moved here from the hill above when Kuroi's ancestors had decided to build a fortress on the steep mountaintop. The atmosphere was formal as was befitting for a temple and Aijo found himself staring at the deep umber of the wooden columns. Clearing his throat, he turned his attention to the gagaku (ancient ceremonial music, primarily flute) that was being played as well as the ceremony itself.

Aijo tensed as the Shinto priest made a gesture of purification over him. He felt his youkai receed behind the spiritual energy his mother had given him, guarding him always. Lifting his head, he took up the first of the three cups for the "San-San-Kudo" or ceremony of the Three-Times-Three Exchange.

Three cups of three different sizes stood on a red laquered offering stand (sambo). Gracefully, Aijo picked up the smallest of the three cups and took three sips from it. He then turned it, and passed the cup to Kuroi. Their hands barely brushed and he shivered as her skin remained firm against him. Then the cup was in her hand and she drunk, three delicate sips, before the first nuptial cup was returned to the stand. Aijo repeated the process three times, until the medium and large sized cups were partook of. It was time for Aijo to read his words of commitment so he did, fumbling a little over the old shrine scroll.

_"On this fortunate day the two of us bind our vows as husband and wife before the revered kami. The fact that, we, bound together as lifelong companions in this wide world, set off on our life's journey amid everyone's warm congratulations is the greatest good fortune we could have. From today forward we swear that, keeping these feelings alive in our breasts, with deep understanding and love, we will, establishing our home and building a vibrant life, work to make our family flourish"._ Then, Aijo and Kuroi both bowed-clapped-bowed before offering tamagushi (twigs of a sacred tree) to the local kami. The priest spoke as was customary, but since there was no family present for either bride or groom, they omitted the sake toast ceremony.

Food and drink followed after. The reception was loud and glamorous, too much so for a quarter demon. Aijo tiptoed away as soon as possible. His actions brought the laughter of many of the samurai, whom accused him of being anxious to try out his new bride, but Aijo ignored him. His only anxiety of the moment was settling things with Kuroi since he had no opportunity yet to speak to her about what was happening to both of them. As he entered the room, he suddenly forgot what it was he was supposed to say.

Princess Kuroi sat calmly upon their shared futon. No expression glimmered behind her painted mask of white pigment, red lipstick, and black eyeshadow; the face of a bride. Aijo collapsed to side by the doorframe. He had a lot of questions to muddle through.

"Princess," he stated quietly, "what are you doing? Why are you marrying me?"

"Why DID I marry you," Kuroi corrected. Aijo's head snapped to attention.

"You're being your usual snide self." Kuroi pursed her lips distastefully and bowed.

"Forgive me for being disrespectful, husband."

"Cut that out. Look, neither you nor I know what we're getting ourselves into. Is it really worth having a quarter demon for a husband? You could always become a nun or something. I'm sure you would be well taken care of." Kuroi's frown deepened. To Aijo's astonishment, she rose from the bed to stalk him and sat before him with a predatory smile.

"Do you really think that money is the only reason I want a husband? Has it ever occurred to you that I want something more than that? Perhaps the chance to become a woman or perhaps even… I want you?" She leaned over him, with her hands on either side of his lap so that his eyes remained transfixed with hers. Saliva pooled in Aijo's mouth and he found himself gulping.

"Why would you be interested in me, Kuroi? There are plenty of men around you. You could have had your choice of any human." Kuroi shrugged and turned her burning eyes upon him.

"I love you." The heart fell out of Aijo's chest and he licked his lips nervously.

"You could have had other men."

"The one I love is you, Aijo; and I'm not a such a fool as to throw my life away on wanton desires. Nor am I such a fool as to deny them if satisfaction is within my reach."

"Your children might not be all human."

"So what of it? It is you who I want, Aijo. You are handsome, strong, and fearless. You are understanding and considerate. There has never been a man I have admired more. Don't you think that you might have a teeny tiny bit of feeling for me?" Aijo's brachial problems expanded until he felt like a blowfish.

"I've had other women."

"I forgive you."

"Your cat hates me."

"Katana sends his blessing."

"What if others find out I'm part demon?"

"I still need you." Kuroi traced her fingertips across his cheekbones. It felt like a light breeze playing over him.

"Ever since that day you first came to me I've admired you from afar. But now I have a chance to hold you and make you a part of myself. I don't have to pretend anymore. Not to anyone."

"You're not making any sense."

"Perhaps not." By this time Kuroi had worked herself into his lap and she pressed her lips against his. Aijo's arms rose involuntarily and he found himself looping them around and drawing her closer. Her lips were warm and supple, plump and ever-daring. They teased each other mercilessly until they had to draw apart breathless. Aijo pulled her snug against him chuckling.

"I thought you promised to keep me only a year."

"I lied."

"I thought you were a warrior."

"No, I'm a woman. Your woman."

"Wrong. You're Kuroi." Aijo caught her chin in his hand and looked at her. Her eyes crinkled up at him in mirth and soon, he found himself also laughing. He lay his forehead against hers until the need was exhausted. Then he stood, drawing her up with him. Aijo took her hand in his and humming happily, he led her to bed.

Nope. Sorry, no lemon here.


	89. Chapter 89

Okay, for those who read the last chapter I have to go back and put in some hot kisses in the woods. Otherwise the work seems hurried (which it actually is). Since Rumiko is nearly done with the series, I've worked on this for approximately three years (one year plot development, two years writing), and I get absolutely no reviews; I have to ask myself if it's worth going on to the tale's end. But I think I'll continue as long as people bother to read. I need to get back to Trivalm and Chalarin (main characters of two different original series I'm working on) but my writer's passion won't let me go on until I lay this long tale to rest. By the way, this chapter is the reason (besides laziness) that I never detailed Aijo's birth. I was saving it for later. Ne-hah! So there.

Aijo traced and retraced his steps outside in the corridor, reflecting over all the events of the past year. A prick of guilt accompanied him as he did so; he had not once told his family of the events that had transpired here despite his many letters to them. The important news he left out was exactly what was entitled to them; Aijo was married and with good fortune, in a few hours the quarter demon's first child would be born.

A single, pained wail broke through the once still air and Aijo cussed as it had become his habit to do. His rations and emotions became imbalanced so with a savage snarl, he thrust back the shoji door and with a deafening slam came to stand before Princess Kuroi. The ladies attending her labors gave a start. With despondent wails, they began to plead him for him to leave the birthing room but Aijo would hear none of it. Thrusting the most vocal of the attendants outside, he took up a cloth and kneeled beside Kuroi. With gentle, loving administrations he wiped her brow free of the moisture that had beaded there. Fondly, he gazed down on Kuroi and interlaced his fingers with hers so that she could squeeze them. His princess, now wife, looked back at him with an expression of anguish but she kept her lips pressed tightly together. Aijo suppressed a chuckle at the thought that even now, when she was known to others merely as a fragile woman, Kuroi refused to suffer the indignity of crying out her pain.

As Aijo watched, Kuroi continue to pant and with a tremendous shudder, her contractions became so violent that a furious seething left her lips. She clenched Aijo's hand all the tighter nearly leaving marks in his demon skin and then came to the realization that it was nearly over.

The castles' midwife rose with a triumphant smile from where she was perched between Kuroi's legs. She announced smugly that the top of the head could be seen. Within minutes, Kuroi and Aijo's first child was born. As soon as it slid from the body into the cold air, it was cleaned and wrapped up, all while making the most horrific wails. Aijo and Kuroi both imagined that they had never heard anything more beautiful. The uncertainty and tension that had rose in their chests now dissipated into glowing pride as the new castle princess was handed to them.

"A girl," Aijo snuffed approvingly. "Not the heir you were looking for, koishii, but I am pleased with you." Kuroi looked at him as if he was crazy but Aijo merely patted her shoulder.

"If you don't mind, dear wife, I intend to call her Iyazoi, after her grandmother." Kuroi gave a diffident nod, then ignored him as the placenta came a few minutes later. The remaining servants cleaned her; leaving their unusual daimyo to his own devices. Now that his lordship had defiled the sanctity of the birthing room, there was nothing they could do about it. So far no curse had come upon the new babe or the mother, but they groused that only time would tell.

For his part, Aijo held no such birthing room superstitions. He had been exposed to his mother's world after all. So it was that he loitered casually by Kuroi's bedside, handing her their new child and watching in interest as she held the infant close to suckle against her breast. Chuckling softly, Aijo tousled the silky bangs of both of them. Kuroi looked up at him in askance.

"You are not displeased that it is a girl?"

"Why should I be? I've always wanted a daughter." It was as if a brilliant lamp had been kindled as Aijo finally admitted the truth to himself.

"Then I am pleased also, Aijo." Kuroi's concerned frown flickered into non-existence and she allowed herself to drape her head down to press softly against the infant's cheek. Aijo looped his arms around the two to give them his own nuzzling. Then, after tenderly lowering Kuroi onto her tatami mat, he begrudgingly got up to leave.

"I have to write a letter to my father. It is time I finally told him the truth." Kuroi nodded firmly. It had long been an argument between them as a couple and she would be relieved when they finally had the blessing of Aijo's family. With warm, affectionate eyes, Kuroi bid her husband to go.

Aijo slid open the shoji doors once more but this time no anger drove him do so quickly. A measured swoosh served accompaniment to his delirium, and in happiness he graced the hallway with an over-bright presence. He was nearly stunned into collapsing when he felt the aura of a powerful demon drawing nearer. Aijo raised his sword hand in a panic and laid it on the hilt. He did not draw, however, as he came to a stunned recognition that it was his uncle Sesshomaru that he detected. Aijo hastened down to his (formerly Kuroi's) meeting hall where Sesshomaru stood somewhat peevishly. Sesshomaru lay impassive eyes upon his nephew. Aijo realized with a jolt that strangely, there was no cold steeled within them. Instead, his molten eyes had melted from the glare he had remembrance of, to an almost liquid warmth. Gulping nervously, Aijo bowed reverently before his kin, elder, and ruler to all Inuyoukai.

"Sesshomaru," Aijo stated nobly. "I welcome you. What brings you here to this human province?"

"Nephew. Rumor has it your stay amongst the mortals has been fruitful. Are you enjoying well your life as a castle lord?"

"Such a life has so far, brought me great satisfaction."

"Then perhaps you could explain to me why, after all this time, you have not seen merit in informing your father of your actions?" Aijo faltered. He traced over his words carefully.

"I did not want my father to be grieved by my existence as a mortal. If he had been present in this last year of my life, he would have been disgusted with my decisions as a human." Sesshomaru took an air of mild thoughtfulness.

"You have chosen to live as a human, have you? Perhaps it is fitting. Yet you remain an Inuyoukai bound to the Dog Clan. It would be disgraceful to it to allow you to renounce your ties."

"My demon heritage remains dear to me," Aijo countered. "Yet I can not allow myself to be pretentious when I know my own weaknesses."

"That is a wise decision, Nephew." Sesshomaru stopped to observe Aijo and see if he would say anything further, but when he did not, he continued.

"Because your tooth lies on the strand of the Dog Clan, I offer you my protection. I vow to uphold your direct family line through all of the generations until my reign as Taiyoukai comes to an end. I only ask that you continue to use the kinsname of your mortal wife, and not the symbol of the house of Inutaisho."

"Yes, my lord," Aijo said bowing. "Will you stay? I will have a feast prepared. I also wish to invite you to the celebration of my daughter's birth."

"No." Sesshomaru draped a wrist over the edge of Tensiega. "I must depart. However, I would see satisfaction in knowing the name of my brother's grandchild."

"It is Iyazoi."

"Iyazoi is it?" A great storm of irony played over Sesshomaru's face. Looking greatly amused, the dog demon turned to leave but stopped by the doorway to toss parting words over his shoulder.

"If you do see fit to contact your father, inform him that he is now an Uncle twice over." Then he left, leaving Aijo mystified by the unexpected warmth in the eyes of a formerly cold-hearted demon.

---

Iyazoi was a strong and beautiful child; albeit human. She only served to strengthen the bond that had solidified between Aijo and Kuroi. But that was not the only reason for their contentment. The two genuinely admired each other and now, after a year of reverent company, a love had grown between them.

The tenderness Aijo felt for his companion left him with a constant yet unexpected satisfaction. It was true that Kuroi and himself had come together for reasons of need and circumstance but he was very glad for their mutual decision. Their love was not immortal, it paled in light of the trust and dependency his father and mother shared, yet he could not help but be satisfied by the woman he had found. At last, Aijo had found what he had decided he needed so long ago. He had, in affect, found his Kikyo; a mortal woman whom chose to live through life's duties despite consequence; a woman with which to share his first love. He grew to cherish her presence more with every passing moment.

Springtime came to find Aijo walking through the castle garden with Kuroi's arm upon his own. Fragrant blossoms descended around them like love's true storm, battering about in the wind to weave loose wreaths on their hair. Kuroi giggled, and Aijo raised a hand to brush away the delicately pale petals. Aijo allowed his fingers to run soft, soothing strokes through Kuroi's hair. Then, he stepped aside of the walkway and pulled his former princess to his side. His arms laced around Kuroi and they murmured, burying their doubts as they burrowed into one another, relishing the moment. To them, it was worth it, being born into to this world to experience this temporal love. It was in this atmosphere of promise that Aijo came to a life-altering decision. The words of the Dog-Goddess rang through his head, the source of the words being his memory. "Ultimately, it is your decision to accept this gift or not," she had said to him. So it was that Aijo found his hand straying to the sword in his sash.

To be human. To live for a short time in this existence, taking all the best he could get from it. To know love but sorrow, both success and failure, but most importantly having the opportunity to age and die alongside the people he loved. To leave his own children to posterity, to continue his own life through theirs. That was the choice Aijo decided upon.

Silently, Aijo removed the katana the Dog Goddess had gifted him with. It slid free from his sash easily and the burdening weight vanished as it sunk in the pond beside with a loud clunk. Aijo then used his free hand to hold onto Kuroi all the tighter, dismissing all thought that he might come to regret giving up two hundred years. No, by throwing away the sword he had found something far greater. He had found the best of his mortality.

Kuroi hardly noticed the removal of the sword since Aijo had been so stealthy, but she did notice when he raised his head sharply to look into the open branches of a fragrant cherry tree. Unlike him, she could not see the spiritual light that now surrounded the tree, or the dog-eared figure perched within. She failed to notice that the mysterious figure now held a sword or that she gave her husband a broad smile. Instead, the only the thing Kuroi could do was shake her husband's robes as he stared off into the distance with an oddly vacant expression.

"Aijo?" Kuroi shook his robes again and this time the cloud disappeared from his features until he answered.

"Yes, Kuroi?" Aijo asked as the daze removed.

"You were looking at something," Kuroi said with concern. "What was it?"

"Nothing, koishii." Aijo smiled at her and gave her a quick hug. "Just someone I know telling me they'd hold onto something." Kuroi looked at him quizzically.

"Will they return it?"

"Not unless I ask. Relax, koishii, all is well." With that, Aijo placed his hand upon Kuroi's back to guide her out of the courtyard. They had many things to do after all. Today was one special day in a life that was precious yet fleeting.


	90. Chapter 90

Disclaimer: 1) I do not own Inuyasha for Rumiko Takahashi does. 2) I am not insulting anyone or any religion. I just have this amazing idea for an antagonist that's all. 3) Beware the unexpected. Things are about to get serious.

Lightening. A vibrating sheet of overcast harnessed the sky drawing it nearer. The flea name Myoga trembled as he hopped along, searching for his master's enemies. Splats of wind blown raindrops landed near him every now and then. The flea, after encountering another narrow miss, hid himself under a thick, rumpled chordate leaf to preserve his clothing. A worried glance outside revealed nothing more than the violent air of a purplish youkai seeping furtively across a world of monochrome. Taking the shaggy leaf with him, Myoga continued his journey in earnest.

The peak of a hesitant rainstorm had long since passed and now, all that was left was the petulant wind that accompanied the unspent storm. The crackling of thunder only increased as Myoga approached a place that was rumored to be chilled in all seasons and even on the sunniest of days. As a knowledgeable flea of six hundred and eighty four years, Myoga knew that such a place, if any, was exactly where to find an ice demon.

It was true to Myoga's life that he was a coward. Yet just as truthfully, he remained loyal to Inutaisho and now the late Taiyoukai's son, Inuyasha. He did not want to be killed but for something as grave as a lost daughter, Myoga was willing to brave nearly anything for his beloved master. In his case bold service clearly meant spying. But even a flea on an important mission has his limits.

Myoga shuttered. The wind was blowing galefully, churning up into a maelstrom. Surrounded by menacing illuminations of lightening, the flea demon came to the rapid decision it was best if he now fled this dangerous mountain, leaving it to hanyous or demons of greater abilities. With this conviction in mind, the old flea demon began to descend the gravelly slopes he had bounded up earlier.

Myoga nearly flew through the knarled trees, so empty and dormant of vegetation. He scrabbled up a patch of blackened bark, the abrasion catching hold of his clothing. With a frightened panic, Myoga tugged himself free then settled in a tree knot whose heart had rotted out long ago. It created a warm and sheltered hiding place. Myoga would rest a moment and then, he would make his way speedily across the coverless flat plain that yawned before him. After that, that old flea reassured himself, he would be free of this terrifying place.

The scent of storm-laden air and moist pine amber filled Myoga's nose, then the scent of rising youkai. Mouga trembled as the all too familiar stench of Naraku pressed upon his awareness. So too, came the light scent of freshly bruised blossoms, much to the flea's puzzlement. Unable to contain his curiosity, Myoga lifted his head and peered out of his hiding place. If he had a jaw, it would have dropped open at the sight that lay before him.

A female figure sat on a stone like a dais in front of Naraku. A robe of shimmering white cloaked her, while two white triangular dog ears were perched on top of her head. If all that Myoga had heard from his Master Inuyasha was indeed correct, it could be none other than the Dog Goddess whom had transformed Kagome. Yet if that was true, why was she here speaking to Naraku? Moga froze, uncertain whether he should go or whether he should stay. Indecision tore at him, the result of which was that the old flea lay quavering at the bottom of the excavated tree knot. Despite his dread of them, words began to drift to Myoga, rising up through the air to reverberate in his ears like a drum. Naraku spoke first with his low imitation of sensuality and power.

"What brings you here, Dog Goddess?" Naraku spoke slowly and with his usual mock reverence. "If I may hazard a guess, I presume your presence at my modest dwelling means that you bring matters of importance with you. Tell me, what would you have me do now, mother?" The Dog Goddess, meaning myself, kicked out her heels playfully. She then looked down at the pseudo-demon kneeling before her and frowned.

"I told you not to call me that, Naraku. True, I am the one responsible for creating you but do not mistake that I hold any affections toward you. You are a merely a tool at my disposal, nothing else. I brought about the events that led to your creation and even now I spin events to bring forth your destruction. It is only a matter a time before your final act is played, Onigumo. The only thing I ask is that you continue to bring grief to Inuyasha for this is the very reason that you were made."

"Yes, Dog Goddess," Naraku returned slyly. I smiled down at him. Naraku is always such a reliable listener. So, I took on an air of casualness and apparated a bowl of pocki and chocolate éclairs, along with a cup of breakfast tea.

"Very well, Naraku, my darling baby son," I said with a playful grin, "I shall tell you why am here. I have come to inform you that now is a good time for you to send an attack on Inuyasha-kun. As a whole, his group is lax and divided. Inuyasha's eldest is off living as lord in another kingdom. Yasuo's off to college and Miroku and Sango are minding their own family problems. Inuyasha and Kagome themselves see me as some sort of savior which is foolish of course. Perhaps if they were average mortals but it sadly their case that they have fallen into fate's hands and as such must serve a higher purpose, just as you do Onigumo."

"Yes, Great Goddess," said Naraku never losing that sinister smile his which I love so dearly.

"It's admirable really," I said heartfully. With a wave of a hand I replaced the bowl of uneaten éclairs with a healthier selection of deep red cherries. I plucked up the topmost, most plump looking one and popped it into my mouth. Suckling on the fruit thoughtfully, I chewed on the stem and caught the escaping juices with my tongue before continuing. My train of thought followed one of both pleasure and anxiety.

"Inuyasha and Kagome were created to serve as bringers of change yet how greatly they succeed in this task surprises me to this very day. And then, of course, there is Sango. She was not created but rather chosen, the poor girl. I feel sorry for her really, but she is commendable in that despite the best efforts of a goddess to crush her, she has not been destroyed. It seems her will is strong enough to overcome even the wishes of fate. She did after all, crawl from her grave, contrary to what should have been. Such a trail she is, even to a goddess, yet what a fascinating victim."

My brows furrowed, at first concentrating on an unfeigned look of perplexion. Then, I turned and fastened a glare upon Naraku. A wicked smile, equal or greater than his own spread across my cherry-stained lips and I felt rather than saw the red glow that lit in the very recesses of my pupils, hinting only of a demonic nature. With a heavy sigh I rose to my feet and began pacing.

"I mean, my dear little Naraku, it is all so very difficult to make these things happen and no one but you ever appreciates my scheming! Did anyone ever realize that it was I who I gave that potion to Sota, or that I was even the one responsible for its creation? Does no one realize that it was I who used YET ANOTHER potion to create Taihen, or that I refilled the bottle when Kagome so cleverly thought to empty it? Does anyone ever give ME the credit I deserve for sending that snake demon to befuddle the mind of Sakura? No, of course not. Nobody ever acknowledges my doings, even sweet Sesshy whose consort was gifted with my first batch of demonic-aura-suppressing fragrance! No, nobody ever thinks of me or how clever I am but I suppose that's the problem of being a goddess. No one ever knows what it is you are truly up to and if they did I frankly doubt they'd even care." With that first sane thought I stopped my maniacal pacing and drew in a deep breath. With the return of air came a return of composure so I settled myself back down on my 'dias'. It was time I returned to the important business at hand.

"I suppose I really shouldn't prattle on like a mortal, after all. It really isn't helping anything. But I think it's time, dearest Naraku, that you sent out Taihen. She is strong enough to face them, don't you think? I have foreseen success in her upcoming battle."

"Indeed, I was just about to send her," said Naraku with a sly smile. "My Saimyoushou show the absence of the monk and demonslayer."

"Indeed they do." I replied with a secretive smile. "Strange, isn't it, how these demons just pop up so conveniently in a village not so far away." With a mischievous sparkle, I stood and brushed off my kimono so enthusiastically that it gave a loud whap each time it was struck.

"Good-bye Naraku. I fear we must part but I will be watching from afar." The balls of my feet buoyed up along with my suppressed laughter so that I strolled without touching the ground. I gave a casual wave over my shoulder before I spirited away. A wash of scented petals accompanied my disappearance, twisting into a circular arch before vanishing completely. Naraku thought nothing unusual about my dramatic exit. He was accustomed to my peculiar comings and goings, sometimes to seemingly no purpose, sometimes with orders gilded as suggestions; and to his credit it bothered him not at all.

"Even the mighty are inferior to someone," the evil hanyou/ demon conglomerate argued to himself, taking great satisfaction in doing so. Unlike his rebellious creations, it did not matter to him if he was a pawn. He rather understood and embraced the concept, expecting them to do the same. Soon, he too, departed from the impoverished plain, cloaked in a cloud of shouki.

Myoga crawled from his hole in the pine branch knot, unknowingly bringing himself into the presence of someone whom had never truly left. I flitted about the now rain-drenched kingdom, opening my arms to the skies that cascaded so that a sheen of care-cast silver ran down my ears and wove into my robes. Bounding through puddles still held appeal to me, even after millennia of living, so that it was with a child-like enthusiasm I danced under the rainbow of gray, breathing in the sanctity of solemness. Then, I stopped and dropped a pebble into one of the pools with a resounding plunk, watching the ripples crisscross against one another and rebound to lap until with an unspoken murmur they faded away. I then glanced deeper into the shallow pool, finding an indescribable depth within. My thoughts rebounded up at me as if I had shouted them so that I scowled, and sat down to glare into the beckoning, yet rightfully silent waters. I knew then, most painfully, what had to be done.

Then again, I had known what misdeeds I would have to commit long ago. Tonight's visitation of Naraku had been no impulse; my support of him no trivial matter. The changing of the ages was a matter both within and above my immortal hands. I knew, as others did, that the age of demons was coming to an end. The age of humans was drawing nearer. Soon, the war between demons and humans would slumber. It is only too bad for my compassionate heart that a few must suffer in order to grant well-being to the whole. But as a goddess, I was resigned to cutting down even the innocent and sowing tragedy where there once was joy. For this reason, I followed after Myoga as he escaped.

The wind cut across my shoulders as I chased after him. I chuckled softly. For an old flea, Myoga certainly had a lot of stamina. I eased off on my unperceived pursuit and decided to wait a few days. It would take a week for Myoga to reach Inuyasha and I felt like giving him that extra week to live. He was, after all, still my very favorite flea.

But the week turned and like countless flower buds, it blossomed and died. It now was time that I must play the reaper and I did so on a faultlessly sunny day just as Myoga reached the borders of Kaede's village. It would not have done to let him perish enroute so I waited until the old flea had found the foxchild. But before he could speak I yanked the chain of old age so that his body folded in upon itself. With a trembling claw, Myoga the flea demon clasped onto the respectful child's sleeve and struggled to writhe out the last few words he deemed so important, the last few words that could protect his master, but sadly I knew I could not allow it. So, sliding over the fox child's shoulder like a vagrant eclipse blotting out the life giving sun, I stared down at the old flea demon so that he merely shuttered in fear before passing away. His most holy of secrets passed with him and I prayed for the poor flea demon's repose. It was some small consolation to the both of us, I think, when I saw him escorted to the other side to join his former master. I would have shed more tears than he if, by the timing of his death, I had unkindly caused his spirit roam the earth in mourning. After all, for the last six hundred years Myoga had been yet another one of my innumerable yet precious children.

So I sat there, popping the top to a carrot smoothie as a way of consolation to myself as I waited for Inuyasha and the others to gather, drawn by the shout of the teary-eyed child. Something else troubled me too and that was the look of absolute fear the child had worn as Myoga had looked over his shoulder at some unstated doom. That doom had been myself and at this moment of grief, I felt the insult keenly. It was true. I am a dispassionate being whom takes life just as readily as I give it. I am the subject of terror and only I knew what would befall these dear ones mere days hence. But the trap was set and with a shrug, I dismissed my insubstantial qualms to resume an attitude of benevolent complacence. I schooled my face into thoughtfulness, then shimmied away like a lost petal on the breeze.

It occurs to me, every now and again, what an unfair situation this is. How can a mortal defeat what he can not see? How can he guard against the judgment of the gods when every breath is an allowance from them? The answer is he can't. Only Sango had managed. So I settled myself down on a rock by the riverside and gave in to contemplation.

"No," I said to myself with a woolen tongue, "all that should come to pass will pass shortly. Inuyasha will suffer dearly. It is my intention that he shall rise again to claim the ultimate victory. But for now, dearest Naraku, feel free to carry out your ambitions. Create war upon this world and seek your power. For within this contest lie the underpinnings of a god ordained order." Taking one last swig from my vegetable smoothy, I tossed it through the Bone-Eater's Well as I passed over it. It disappeared with a glimmer of bluish light. Hopefully, the Higurashi's would recycle it for me on the other side. As for me, I had the conquering of an entire world to manage.

Author Notes: Weird huh? But just before you think I'm crazy, this has been part of the original plot line all along. The Dog Goddess will continue to narrate the story and hopefully, you'll all be surprised and pleased at the ending. The chapters that immediately follow may take some patience to get through but please bear through it. I won't be creating any more disasters that are unrecoverable. Finally! It is time for Taihen to return (aka evilness in training). Tell me what you all think about this last chapter! Is this an acceptable turning? Love it, hate it, flames?


	91. Chapter 91

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha for Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise Studios, and Shonen Jump do.

**Chapter Ninety-One: The Return of Taihen **

* * *

Taihen returned her naginata to its leather shoulder strap with a single fluid motion. Then she grimaced at the offending blood stain that spread across the front of her kimono. Getting dirty was the one part of hunting which Taihen had always detested. She foresaw a bath in her future, hopefully as soon as possible.

A large boor lay sprawled out in front of her in the litter of an oakwood forest. Taihen waited for some of the warm crimson to ebb, then dutifully slung the beast over her shoulder. Her mother, the ice demon Senestice, would be pleased, the young hanyou thought to herself. After steadying the boor by one clawed hand, Taihen hastened on her way. A shrill whistle summoned a spectral bird of an icy blue so that it trailed in the sky above her. Taihen smiled up at her pet, then dropped her load temporarily so that the tiny bird could land on her outstretched fingers. Taihen stroked Nanashii fondly, ruffling its frigid yet softly flaming feathers. Then, she gently set the jewel-eyed bird on her shoulder so that Nanashii crooned out her appreciation. Balancing the boor on the other shoulder, Taihen resumed her journey.

The black-and-white eared hanyou traversed the banks of a small, yet sluggish river toward her favorite cleaning spot. Here, on an outward bow of the river, there was a shore of sand and large boulders. The waters were shallow and gently lapping, yet scoured by sediment so that no weeds imposed upon the beach of sand. Further back, a copse of trees afforded privacy and it was behind this shelter that Taihen liked to skin and dress her kills so that they would be presentable for dinner.

To this aim, Taihen threw the large boor down on one of the sun-parched boulders. She drew out a hunting knife and using it, she deftly removed skin and severed bones from sinew, transforming the boor into several parcels of meat. She packed away too, the interior organs since she and her mother were fond of them, but afterwards, the hanyou threw the rest of the carcass away for wild animals to scavenge. Just as she had predicted, the heads of a pair of foxes emerged over a boulder immediately after she had done so. Taihen spent the next few minutes watching a kitsune pair sniff amongst the boor remains. The two kept to a respectable distance, though the female kitsune gave Taihen a friendly, loopy grin. She and Taihen never spoke to one another, but as neither had intruded on the den or kills of the other, it was clear to both that no ill existed between them. Feeling particularly generous today, Taihen reached behind her and took out a particularly meaty rib bone she had saved for them. Wordlessly, she lobbed it at the pair. The female kitsune took it up with grin, then bowed. Taihen smiled back at two and watched as they retreated, waving their bushy tails. Shortly after, Taihen also left the area, taking a large package of meat with her. She set out in the direction of home this time.

The cave Taihen inhabited with her mother was small but very comfortable. Amenities such as a large central cooking hearth, seats and storage areas carved out of stone, an abundance of furniture made from fine wood, and feather beds made her feel comfortable, contented, and somewhat wealthy. The convenience Taihen loved most of all was her mother's ancient mirror, with its polished front and a back of molded dragons. This mirror stood poised on a large stand in the middle of the bedroom, and Taihen loved to watch her mother sit before it. Sometimes, Senestice would apply her makeup and jewelry, using the mirror's surface as one would a puddle. At others, she would use the mirror to cast strange magics, all of them exciting to the young hanyou. Most of all, Taihen loved to watch her mother's reflection in it as she groomed herself. Senestice had such long and beautiful hair and sometimes Taihen would get to brush it for her and they would braid it together. Taihen loved her mother Senestice, and for this reason the mirror took on an especial importance to her as a reminder of the fond memories she had as the ice demon's adoptive daughter.

But right now, Taihen had more important things to do than to dawdle on fond memories past. She called out for her mother, but no answer replied. Frowning into the emptiness, Taihen took her bundle of meat to the icebox in the root cellar to store it. Senestice was not here either so Taihen exited the root cellar, snatching up a handful of the dried apricots as she did so. Next, Taihen explored the bedroom she shared with her mother but alas; here also the space was vacant. The emptiness seemed to echo the contents of her own heart. It seemed irrefutable that the girl had indeed come home to an empty house.

Left to her own devices, Taihen decided to take her bath now. She stopped by the pile of chests she kept in the bedroom. From within these, Taihen could chose any of a dozen kimonos to replace the one she had dirtied. She selected her favorite one- a silver kimono with black flowers and a matching haircomb. Then Taihen set out for a warm, underground spring hidden deeper in the cavern. Along the way, she nibbled on the apricots she had stolen and gave one to Nanashii, whom was still perched on her shoulder.

A few hundred feet further into the heart of the mountain itself, Taihen came to the reason her mother had chosen this cave in the first place. From a dozen tiny fissures in a porous stone like froth, a natural spring cascaded. It gathered in a superheated pool far below and if anyone had but a fire youkai thought to bath in it, they would have found their skin burning in the sizzling waters. But it was not within the steam-cloaked pool itself that Taihen wished to bathe. Instead, she would make use of a large tub Senestice had carved into the floor of the cavern centuries ago. Here, cold waters from the surface of the mountain above and hot waters from the earth below mixed to create a harmonious temperature. It was the perfect playground for a young hanyou. Taihen removed her blood saturated kimono, revealing the body of a mere child.

Twenty years had passed since Taihen's birth. If she had been a quarter demon as her two elder brothers were, she would have been grown up by now. But Taihen was not a quarter demon. Unlike her brothers, Taihen's father had been a full-fledged demon out on a rampage. Unlike her brothers, she bore a hanyou's ears.

So it was that Taihen was still only a little girl hanyou. After leaving a short infancy and toddlerhood, she had ceased aging at about seven, and over the years had reached at best ten years old in human development. Yet, it could not be said that Taihen was mentally immature. Like all children of a demonic heritage, she was comfortable and well versed in the darker truths of life. Death had been her bottle; torture her first real food. Taihen's hands were so red that no one no longer dared to mock her for being a hanyou. They all knew that if they did they would find themselves at the end of her claws or worse, in an icy tomb courtesy of a protective mother.

Within these twenty years of time, Taihen had become more than the blood she had been born with. She was now a deadly snowstorm, a killer of men and demons both. Her mother had trained in such things as swordmanship and stealth, and now too she was beginning to learn how to employ her youkai wind, her heritage from her father, to command ice and snow in mimicry of her cherished mother. The black-and-white eared hanyou was unbelievably strong and swift, yet equally as beautiful like a single crystalline snowflake heralding the storm.

In appearance, Taihen was nothing short of elegant. Senestice had taken as much pains to teach her to keep a proper appearance as she did with her combat training. Her glorious tresses of long white silver hair were kept immaculately braided in a wreath running up the front and down the back. A blue crystalline flower remained perched beside her ear at all times, and her kimono was always an elegant one of a pricey material. Taihen wore a pair of boots instead of shoes, and these too screamed formality or at least a suggestion of dominance, but never so much so as the armor which Taihen so frequently wore. Besides the back halter from which she hung her naginata, Taihen kept guards on her shins, her forearms, and her chest. Each of these brightly gleamed with a reflection of silver and clipped onto her snugly so that they gave of the impression of fine jewelry, albeight jewelry of a deadly intent. Indeed, nothing could be closer to the truth. In all things, Taihen maintained the bearing and attitude of a heartless ice demon. Yet, at times a contrasting glow of molten gold showed within her eyes alluding only for a moment to a hidden, kinder nature.

One of the more puzzling things of Taihen's life was that she was that she was not all demon. Of all creatures in existence she found herself most egregious for she had the absurdity of having two dog ears sticking up from the top of her head. Despite this, she never felt shame for it. Her mother, the ice demon Senestice, had always reassured Taihen that she was beautiful and this was something which Taihen believed with all her heart. No matter what other demons said, Taihen did not believe them for she loved her mother dearly. It was her opinion that mattered to her.

In fact, Taihen was grateful for her appearance. It was after coming home crying after the first couple of times she had been insulted that Senestice had first taken her hunting. Later, her mother would always give her something to eat and they would let out all her tresses. Taihen never felt so loved, so beautiful, as in those moments of comfort when they gossiped and brushed her hair out carefully. Then, Senestice would turn down the lantern and the little girl hanyou would curl up in her mother's lap to sleep, all the while being stroked gently. No, there was never any semblance of doubt in Taihen's mind that she was very beautiful, goofy ears included.

Over time, Taihen developed an odd sort of fascination with her ears. She would often stand before her mother's mirror flicking them. When she went out she would spend hours staring at them in the water and for several months she haunted local villages so that she could play with their mountain dogs. She had found, through observation, that they had ears just as she.

It eventually came to the day when Taihen first asked that fateful question, "Why do I have dog ears?" The answer of course, had shocked her. For it meant not only was her father a not a demon but a hanyou, but her birth mother not Senestice as well. At first, Taihen had been horrified.

But then, Senestice had told her the whole story about losing her own blood daughters and the terrible truth that she had been an illegitimate child. Senestice raged, and her sense of wrongness bled into Taihen as well for all that her father had done to her. She was angry at this white-eared hanyou- this Inuyasha. She was furious at him for fathering a cast-off child, for killing Senestice's daughters, for not being in her life, and most of all, irrationally, for the simple truth that she could not be the true blood and flesh daughter of the one demoness whom she truly loved as a parent. The very notion, so indignatious, brought a gaping chasm to Taihen's heart whenever she thought about it. After that moment, when she found out her father's identity, it was as if she no longer belonged anywhere and she fully blamed Inuyasha for it. Naraku too, had done his own part to influence Taihen, turning her fully against him. He had told her, frequently, with his honey-laced lies, that she was not and could not be wanted by him. Taihen had embraced this truth wholly. But now, twelve years after her first confusing encounter with her father, she had come to secretly harbor a hope that this was otherwise.

It was the scent that had turned her. The first time she had faced the hanyou called Inuyasha, Taihen had been fully prepared to kill him to get her revenge for herself and for Senestice. But as she had maneuvered herself close to him, a warm, reassuring scent had rolled over her. For a second's breath of time she had dreamed of being wrapped snuggly in warm red fabric. She could hear a lullaby and past the singer she could look up into eyes of gold. She found herself reaching out for them. But then the impression had passed and she tore herself from it angrily. Her fighting had suffered as result of this entrancement, and Taihen had lost soon afterwards. Her mother Senestice had suffered too as a result. After the battle, Taihen had completely dismissed the occurrence. She never spoke of it to anyone. But now, at the age of ten the remembrance haunted her.

It was this memory that Taihen mulled over now in the bath tub. As she stood floating buoyantly in the warm bathing pool, the young black-and-white eared hanyou began to ask herself- is it possible that my father would want me? Is it possible that my mother just wants me for herself? Shaking her head viciously, Taihen tried to dislodge such radical contemplations from her head as if their presence was a greater danger to her than a fatal illness. Oddly enough, with ideas, this is frequently true.

Taihen lowered herself in the water and began moodily to blow bubbles across the surface in place of cusswords. Promptly, her dog ears twitched forward to catch a sound welcome to her. The shuffling of a pair of bathing sandals came to her awareness and with a warm, relieved smile, Taihen stood up to greet her mother Senestice. The ice demoness was carrying a basket of soaps over one arm along with a couple of towels. She dropped these by the edge of the bathing pool where Taihen could reach them.

"Taihen, my sweet little youkai, I thought I might find you here," said the demoness. Taihen looked up into her mother's concerned emerald eyes.

"Don't worry mother," said Taihen, "I just went out to catch dinner. I wasn't raiding castles again or anything." The young hanyou girl stuck out her lip poutily, then revealed a jagged tooth in her amusement.

"I will forgive you this once," said her mother sternly, "but I've been everywhere looking for you. I even requested an audience with Naraku over this before he told me you had come back home. Now look at this!" Senestice held up the bloody garment that had formerly been a kimono. "Now I shall have to do the laundry again!" She sighed and sat herself down by the pool. "Come here, little one. I will wash your hair for you." Taihen responded to the slight gesture Senestice made with her hand by moving closer.

"Mother," said Taihen as she lathered her hair, "you do not have to worry about me, I was only hunting. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Yes, yes dear," said Senestice absently. "It is very well for you, Taihen. But you are always getting into trouble. You have a habit of picking fights on purpose." Taihen shrugged.

"But Mother, how am I to get stronger if I do not fight?"

"Nonsense, nonsense," said Senestice calmly. "I would rather you did you fighting as Naraku says so. He will keep you from taking on anyone too difficult for you."

"Yes, Mother," said Taihen dourly, blowing bubbles across the surface of the water once again.

"Mother," said Taihen straightening suddenly, "does Master Naraku have an important job for me to yet? It has been a long time since I've done anything."

"No dear," said Senestice stroking her hair consolingly. "But your training is about to pay off. I think soon that he will let you go after Inuyasha again."

"Really?" Taihen squeaked excitedly twirling around in the water. "Tell me mother, what did he say?"

"Compose yourself, Taihen." The young hanyou sobered. Senestice patted her nose fondly and smiled.

"Naraku-sama says that he is thinking of sending you. Isn't it exciting? It's what we've been waiting for your whole life."

"Yes mother," said Taihen not thinking anything difficult about the statement. To her, it had seemed her whole life. "Will you come with me mother?"

"Of course, dear." Senestice patted her once on the arm then stood up and held out a towel. "Come, Taihen, your hair needs rebraiding. What did you catch us for dinner?"

"A giant boor!" said Taihen with mild enthusiasm. Her ears stood up, eager to catch praise for her accomplishment.

"That is good," said Senestice solemnly. "An ice youkai must always know how to provide for itself." Taihen lifted her chin proudly.

"May I cook it for us Mother?"

"Yes you may." Taihen began to walk off, trailing the ends of an enormous towel behind her. She stopped by her chosen kimono and began to dress in it.

"Taihen," came Senestice's voice assertively, "make sure you stay in the cave. It is the night of the full moon tonight." Taihen nodded. She hadn't noticed it but her mother was right. This was the night she transformed into a weak human.

"I am not afraid," she boasted proudly anyway.

"I knew you wouldn't be," said Senestice toweling off her long hair. Taihen continued to look proud of herself.


	92. Chapter 92

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Taihen (Inuyasha's daughter) and Senestice are original characters owned by me, as well as Aijo, Uruwashii, Kohaku (the second), Kiku, Sumire, Yasuo, the Dog Goddess, and the four wolf demon courtesans, plus some others.

Dedicated: To all my readers, reviewers, and especially those people whom send me emails demanding me to update. I love your attitude! But equally I thank those whom tell me they will be patient. Your loyalty is reassures me and does much to keep me writing. I also dedicate this chapter to my dear re-found friend Rin-chan whom did the most adorable chibi picture of me and some sketches for cover art since I'm too lazy to do it myself. She is an awesome artist!

Important Note: Regarding Rumiko's accounting of demon years versus the celestial kitsune years. If one reads the manga chapters preceding Inuyasha's obtaining the diamond spears attack, one will discover that she gives demons an age limitation of 1,000 years. Thus, 10 years passing means 1 year for a demon. Thus, to be a hundred, 1,000 years must pass, and to be twenty, 200. In other literature, demonic ages may be pressed out an exponent but that makes it difficult to make an accounting of generations since to make it to old age, one demon would have be present throughout the entire history of mankind. Thus, I go with Rumiko's accounting.

**Chapter 92: **

**Luminescent**

Taihen paced with an eager expectancy. It was nearly the night of the full moon. Already, she could feel the tingling effects in her blood which heralded her transformation from that of a half-demon to that of a full human. Despite this, Taihen was not afraid of the darkness. Nor was she afraid of her night of mortal vulnerability. Instead, she looked forward to its thrill of weakness, for tonight like so many others would be a time for daring. A time for wildness as her human emotions flowed through her like an infusion of the moon itself.

It was not as if Taihen was ignorant of the fact that her time of weakness was a secret to be guarded for the sake of her life. Yet, a childhood filled of security kept the young hanyou from truly fearing anything, and the cradle of innocence wrapped around her to prevent her from acting with caution. It was for this reason that tonight, like so many others, Taihen slipped out of her bed on pretext of a restroom break only to sneak out of the cavern and into the darkened landscape. The runaway welcomed the long, deep shadows as they enveloped her.

Taihen panted as her frail human body surfaced and her demonic strength fled her. Yet she continued running still, stubbornly persisting until at last her goal of the mountaintop was reached. Taihen's silver hair turned a dross black and hung loosely around her shoulders; meanwhile her pointed ears lowered and transformed to lay flat and useless against the side of her head. All senses dulled and Taihen was left in almost complete darkness. Yet Taihen remained fearless. For above her head lay the steadfast moon, flushing with all with its luminescence. Tonight like always, the moon above remained a trusted guide and friend and here, on the mountaintop it was unobstructed. It was for this reason that Taihen loved to sneak out of bed and brave the wilds in her weakened state, for she had the satisfaction of knowing that if she did the moon was always waiting for her. Joyous was the way the moon's reflections would flood all with with its silvery glow, bringing to earth a second daytime. Even as a human, it became not impossible to see and Taihen came to savor these stolen hours in a playground fraught with peril. It was only at moments like these that she escaped her mother's watchful eye.

Taihen cherished her mother's affections. Yet, at what would have been ten in human years, she was anxious to have her own explorations, her own moments of adventure. So it was that the half-demon turned human would wander around the mountainside happily, with her pet spectral bird Nanishii for protection. As she scurried along, keeping to the brilliantly lit clearings, Taihen saw a sight that brought pause to her journey. There, on a set of boulders was a beautiful woman, studiously gazing upon the moon herself. The woman was so supernaturally lovely that reason stated that it could none other than a demon. Instinctually, Taihen ducked her head. She hid behind a leafy bush before she could be noticed. Then, peering around the bush, Taihen came to a recognition.

"Hey, isn't that the strange woman who gave me my sword?" Taihen asked herself. Indeed, the half-demon turned human was wearing the gifted wakizashi (short sword) at this very moment. She was startled into shivers when the figure spoke out loud.

"I'm sorry, Taihen, this is your rock isn't it? Forgive me, but usually you are so much later in getting here. You are becoming stronger, aren't you?"

Taihen suppressed a startled squeak and remained behind her bush. Sourly, she refused to give her position away any more than she had already. After all, she had considerable experience as a hunter.

"Don't worry Taihen. I'm not here to hurt you. Quite the opposite, I always make it my business to drop by on the full moon, just to make sure I uphold my promises." The young hanyou was baited and so she crawled out of her bush, curious.

"What promise? From what I know you are working for Naraku. Do you mean working for him?" A smile quipped at the edges of the beautiful woman's lips. She patted the rock beside her.

"Come here, Taihen. Let us look at the moon together. It seems we have a lot in common young one." A pair of ears twitched suggestively and Taihen found herself creeping forward, fascinated by them.

"Are you a hanyou?"

"Of sorts. But my other half isn't human. I'm sort of a local deity."

"I don't know what that means." Sourly, Taihen crouched down to listen but she didn't move any closer. The goddess, meaning myself, only smiled again.

"A god or goddess such as myself is a being whom brings divine judgment, guidance, and protection to those they govern. Did you know, Taihen, that there are two types of gods?" The young girl shook her head.

"Among the humans there are two types of gods- the demon and animal spirits which have chosen to serve mankind as local kami, and those that demons all know as the True Gods. These are the gods of natural elements and important life forces, such as the sun and sky, life and death, the flow of time, fate, the earth, fire, water, and ice. These gods are immortal and govern even the animal spirits whom may be killed and sent to the heaven or hell after death, as well as demons whose powers originate from hell. There are other gods that create the separations between each of these worlds and keep the boundary. They are also responsible for reincarnating the soul."

"Really? So that would make you…"

"A half-dog demon kami. My other half is that of a time god."

"What does a time god do?"

"Many things, little one. Many things."

"So does that mean you are really working for Naraku?"

"Of sorts, little one. Now come and sit down next to me. I won't hurt you." Reluctantly, the young girl complied. I gave her my best, most inviting smile and her humanity came out full force. Taihen returned a most innocent and warm-hearted grin which I really found enchanting. I smiled, earnestly this time, in spite of myself.

"Let me tell you a story, Taihen. It is a bedtime story and explains a bit about myself. It explains a bit about you too for that matter." Taihen wisely chose to remain silent so I continued.

"This is a tale about the days long past. Back when dragons and oni reigned the lands, and humans had yet to build great cities, there was a white dog demon. He was tall as a mountain and mighty in battle. Many female dog demons sought to mate with him but he scorned all demons and lesser animals. Instead, he chose to dwell alone on a cliff above the clouds so that he would always have enough food to eat. It is said that he devoured whole forests of creatures. Yet, the great dog demon woke only once every five years so that there would be enough food for him. The rest of the time he slumbered and everyone lived in fear of his awakening."

"But then all things began changing. The weak race known as humans settled in the valleys below him. After a particularly long sleep, the white dog demon awakened and flew down to find a strange sight such as he had never seen before. Hundreds of these creatures milled about and constructed little dens of wood for themselves. The white dog demon was very puzzled since he had been born a wild demon. Yet, he had heard of human beings from his ancient mother, the first of all dog demons, born on a battlefield across the seas."

"Driven by curiosity, the great white dog demon transformed himself and flew into the village. There, by the forest edge, a young maiden was tilled the soil. She saw him walk out of the forest in his smallest form and mistook him for a sacred god. Although he was powerful, the white dog demon was not a kami and he rebuked her for addressing him as such."

" 'No,' he told the maiden. 'I am not a god. I am no more than you see before you.' "

"But the young maiden was not convinced. Although the stranger before her appeared human, he had an unusual air about him and even though he was young, his hair was as white as snowcaps."

" 'If you are not, stranger, then please allow me to build a house for you.' "

" 'Do as you wish,' was his only answer."

" 'Come back when the moon has waned full and void twelve times and I will have built your house for you.' The white dog demon did not know what it was that she would make for him, so he wandered away and feasted on lesser demons until the time she had appointed."

"When the white dog demon next returned, the young maiden was waiting for him. This time, she was accompanied by other humans. They led him to a large wooden shrine they had built in the woods and laid out a feast for him. For the great dog demon, it was a mere tidbit but he accepted all the same. Afterwards, he departed."

"For a short time, the great dog demon was satisfied. But after only a moon's cycle, he returned again to the shrine where the young maiden was waiting for him. Again, a feast was provided. This time he stayed the night and in the morning before departing, the woman posed another question."

" 'Please, my lord, allow me make you a sword,' she said to him."

" 'Do as you wish,' was his only answer."

"So the white dog demon departed again. He waited for the end of twelve moon cycles before returning. This time, the feast he was given was twice as long. At the end of it, he was given a sword made for a deity. The white dog demon took it, although before then most demons did not make use of swords. He carried the object back to his mountain and hid it in his cavern."

"The dog demon was growing very sleepy. He determined not to return to the village again. But once more, curiosity got the better of him and he returned to the shrine where the young maiden was waiting for him. As before, a feast was provided and the young maiden spoke. This time her request startled him."

" 'Please, my lord, if you love your people, please allow me to bring you a bride.'"

"The great dog demon scoffed. 'I have no need for a weak mortal woman,' he replied. Scornful of all humans, he returned to his cavern and prepared to sleep."

"But before the great dog demon drifted into deepest slumber, a feeling of youkai energy rose in the valley below him. He awoke to discover that the demons he himself had not consumed were attacking the human settlement. The great dog demon remembered the kindnesses the human girl whom had showed him and before she was devoured, he arrived at the shrine they had built for him. With a fearsome roar, the great dog demon drove away every last demon. As a result, the humans revered him even more than ever, especially the young maiden."

"'Please,' the young maiden begged, 'allow me to be your servant.' The great dog demon scoffed."

" 'Do as you wish,' was his only answer."

"The great dog demon was displeased but he decided that instead of going back to sleep in the mountain, he would wander the land. And so he journeyed. The great dog demon crossed over mountains and along the sandy beaches of the ocean. He explored every forest and visited every farmland. Over time, the young maiden ceased to call the great dog demon a god, for she had discovered slowly that he was a ferocious demon. Yet, she chose to never leave his side."

"Twenty years after their journey began, the great dog demon noticed that the woman became weary and ill from their travels. So it was that he decided to return to the shrine, where he stood guardian to the people. The True Gods of the region met, and by their judgment, the great dog demon became the first local kami."

"All seemed well. Yet, then came the great dog demon's first real test as a kami. A terrible plague swept through the human settlement for whom he stood guardian. Even the woman whom had been his companion for twenty years was caught up by the illness, and he watched sadly as she wasted away. The great dog demon was furious."

"'Is there any whom can help me?' the demon cried, 'to save the woman I love?' Yes, for over the years that he had known her, the great dog demon had fallen in love with his human companion. He wept bitterly over her withered frame. It was at this moment that he was answered by a time god."

"A time god, just like you?" Taihen interrupted eagerly. A wide grin split across my face and I suppressed a light-hearted laughter.

"A lot like me, actually. You see, that time god was my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Yes. For you see, a time god or goddess has some authority on death. Time is an important part of the passage of the soul, so reversing time will affect death. Also helpfully, my mother has a twin sister whom is a sovern shinigami (death god). My mother felt sympathetic to the great dog demon and so she and her sister put their heads together to make him an offer."

"What kind of offer?" Taihen asked curiously.

"A very mischievous one," I said humming happily. "My mother has always been mischievous even more so than me. In exchange for providing a way for the human woman to be revived, the great dog demon was to give something in exchange."

"What would that be?"

"Me!" I said breaking out into laughter.

"What!?"

"Of course, I told you I am half dog-demon didn't I?" I wiped away the tears of laughter from my eyes. "The great dog demon of whom we're speaking was my father. But my mother and father hardly knew each other at this point so they merely promised to be engaged, a hundred years or so after the mortal woman died again. In the meantime, my mother delivered her end of the bargain."

"What was that?" The little one seemed nearly on the edge of her seat by this point.

"Ah," I said proudly. "She granted the great dog demon an ability of a death god. By placing great power in his left tooth, she made it possible for him to see and destroy the imps which serve as messengers of death. By destroying these messengers, he could revive the woman he loved within the first hours of her passing. The stipulation, however, was that this power could only be used once to redeem a soul from the other world. Otherwise, the great dog demon would have found it difficult to let her go even after she had reached old age. His love for her was very sincere."

"So what happened then? Did he save her?"

"Yes little one, he did. The great dog demon, whom was also my father, used the great power he had been given to revive the woman he loved. The two of them were overjoyed to be together, even if only for a little while longer."

"So what happened then?" I patted Taihen on the head to curb her eagerness.

"That is where this story gets all gooshy-gooshy romantic, my dear. The great dog demon caught her a nice fat boor and gave it to the woman. Then he asked her, 'If you wish to serve me, please allow me to build a house for you.' "

" 'Do as you wish,' was the woman's only answer."

"So the great dog demon went away. After a single cycle of the moon had passed, he brought her to his mountain. Here, he had constructed an elaborate palace for her so that she would be comfortable. It was the very first of all dog-demon palaces."

"That's so sweet!"

"I know, isn't it? But that's not all! Next, the great dog demon caught her a dozen deer to feast upon. Then he asked her, 'If you wish to serve me, please allow me to have sword forged for you.'"

" 'Do as you wish,' was the woman's only answer."

"So the great dog demon went away again. When a single cycle of the moon had passed, he brought her a short dagger made from one of his teeth, infused with his youkai magic." Naturally, the woman accepted his gift.

"The woman eagerly awaited his next question, but instead the dog demon went away for three whole cycles of the moon. When he finally returned, he brought her another boor and an assortment of wild fish and game. Then he came before her to ask, 'If you truly love me, please allow me to choose a groom for you.' "

"'As you wish, my beloved,' was the woman's only answer."

"So the great dog demon arranged a human's marriage ceremony and provided himself as the groom. Afterwards, he took the woman for his mate. Together they created the very first inu-hanyou child." I frowned sadly at this point.

"Unfortunately my elder brother was rather unstable. Although we tried to seal away his demon magics, he died rather young." I focused a rather serious gaze on Taihen, whom was confused and slightly nervous about my admission.

"Unstable? I don't understand."

"It's better that you don't young one. But after my brother's death, I discovered plenty of ways to conceal and withhold youkai energy. Do not worry young one. You are well protected, yourself. I only wish that he had been."

"I am sorry," said Taihen. The concern was touching.

"Don't be!" I dismissed, waving a hand. "That's all in the past. But to continue with my story, the great dog demon lived with the mortal woman until her death. Immediately afterwards, he entered a period of aggression in which he sought out and stole brides from among the inu-packs. He acquired a large number of consorts and founded the ruling dynasty of the Dog Demon Clan. He was the first among those known as the skyrunners. These dog demons are renowned for their size, their ferocity, and especially their flying abilities. They also have other hidden weaknesses. Over the centuries, nearly a half dozen inu-hanyous have been fathered by skyrunners. Most of these births, however, were guarded secrets and the children often murdered to preserve dignity. It is considered disgraceful by all demons but kitsunes to be involved with humans in such a way." Taihen clenched her fangs anxiously.

"Does that mean that my father was a skyrunner?"

"Naraku tells me you have already met this person yourself."

"Yes, but he wasn't a skyrunner. He was a hanyou."

"Well, a hanyou is still a demon, wouldn't you say, Taihen? Maybe he has part skyrunner in him. In fact, I know he has."

"What do you mean?" Taihen asked quite alarmed.

"Shush darling and let me get on with my story. Among my father's descendants, for a long time there was a saying that a dog must choose between the path of the kami and that of conquest. Many generations were born over the next 10,000 years and as time went on, they abandoned the way of the kami. Soon, all demons including dog demons tore the number of humans in the land down to a nearly undetectable trace. These humans hid themselves away from the demons whom had chosen the way of conquest. They would have been completely devoured if not for the kami, the gods, and the priests and priestesses with spiritual power whom arose to protect mankind."

"Humans and demons fell into an uneasy circle of predator and prey. It became what is known as the war between humans and demons. Yet, despite their casualties, human kind grew in number and power until even the dog lords could be affected by their spiritual magics. Monks appeared in addition to the priestesses."

"But since demons are born from the conflicts of humans, as the number of humans grew, so did the demons. The conflicts only grew in power until the last great human conflict ended and the priestess Midoriko was slain. At that time, the land fell into a hush and the demons and humans both settled to live peaceably on the land. The number of demons fell and many of the ancient dog demons died."

"Then, a thousand years ago to this day, the dog demon whom would become known as The Lord of the West was born. He was also known reverently as the Great Dog General. Inutaisho was not unlike his brethren. He sought dominance over all other demons. He chose the path of conquest. At the same time, he was rare in that he showed a benevolent hand toward humanity."

"But Inutaisho did not serve as a kami. Instead, he solidified a kingdom for himself over all demon kind. He became a highly respected lord. Over the 800 years of his rule, he defended his kingdom many times from demons of other lands. He guarded the gateways between worlds. Then, towards the end of his rule, he had two full-demon sons by a powerful poison-user inu-youkai."

"Inutaisho cherished his two sons. But then he fell prey to the weakness that affects all dog demons, especially those with a partly skyrunner bloodline. He fell madly in love with a mortal woman. After a weak resistance, he took her as his beloved mate. It became publicly known that he would soon become father to a hanyou. Instead of denying the claims, Inutaisho shocked and outraged his followers further by declaring that he intended to take the child in to be raised by himself. This act of love proved to be a deadly mistake."

"The dragon clan, led by the ancient dragon Ryukotsusei, organized a rebellion against Inutaisho. The Great Dog Demon fought back, with his eldest son by his side. Catrastophy struck as his eldest was felled in battle."

"Enraged, the Great Dog Demon confronted Ryukotsusei only to discover that the dragon had turned the mortal woman's kind against her. Using all of his power, he managed to seal the ancient dragon away. However, the wounds he sustained from the battle were serious. Inutaisho knew that his time as a living being were coming to an end. So, with the last of his strength, he rushed to save the woman he loved and the precious child within her."

"By this point, the Great Dog Demon was too sluggish to even block arrows but he charged in, irregardless. He blazed through the defenses and cut off the arm of the principal offender, he whom tried to keep him from his love. When Inutaisho arrived by her side, his child was born but his beloved was dead."

"Fortunately for Inutaisho, the ability which my mother the time goddess had bestowed upon the clan remained in him. During his years as ruler, Inutaisho had commissioned a sword made from his tooth of the kami. Reviving her from the dead was a simple task using this sword, the Tensiega. Among his last acts on this earth, The Great Dog General gave his child a name and a robe to protect him from the fire surrounding him. That child's name was Inuyasha. Your father. You are descended from the Great Lord Inutaisho." Taihen was speechless.

"But if I have a father like that, then why am I unwanted? Why am I a hanyou?"

"Ah," I said wagging a finger. "The interesting thing about hanyous is that in the right circumstances, a hanyou may have a hanyou child. They might even have a demon one. But the important thing is not whether or not you were wanted, Taihen. The important question is how you feel now. Knowing this much more about your lineage, and about being a hanyou, can you honestly say that you hate your father? Are you willing to kill him?" I watched as Taihen's brow became clouded.

"I… honestly don't know. When I first met him, I tried to kill him. Honestly I tried with all my might. I didn't want to disappoint Mother, or Master Naraku either. But I failed. And afterwards I found that… maybe I don't hate him so much after all. Maybe there is no reason to. There is just so much I don't know. So much I don't understand. It is something I can't ask Mother about either. She hates him completely."

"Do you have feelings towards him?" Taihen scrunched her face up in concentration and her eyes became wistful for a moment before growing weary.

"I really don't know. I just know… that I have to face him again. And I want to. I want to see him again. To see what he looks like. Just this once."

"I see." The moonlight had slanted and my blood pulsed in reaction to the shifting threads of time. I knew without a doubt that a great many hours had passed during my tale. I stood.

"Taihen, there is a way to defeat your father," I said handing her an arrow. "Destroy the hanyou priestess' arrows and leave this one in its place. Then victory will come of itself." Taihen's eyes grew wide, then obedient.

"I understand." She bowed. "Please, Great Time Goddess, tell Master Naraku that I am prepared." Satisfied, I began to slip into the watery lands of a moonlit night when a quavering voice stopped me.

"Wait! If you are the daughter of the first Great Dog Demon, doesn't that make you my great-aunt or something?" I twitched unpleasantly and turned around.

"I'd rather you didn't call it something like that, darling. I have been waiting around for a husband for 11,000 years. I would hardly call the generation of today related." With that comment, I abruptly vanished away.

Okay, have I lost everyone? This is kinda complicated. And also, don't fret. Nobody is going to die next chapter.


	93. Chapter 93

Sorry, but long updates are necessary. I wrote this because one person dropped me from their favorites list and I got all teary about it. I hope those of you still here will stay!

The problem with having a moral dilemma is that it eats at one's very soul, leaving them mired in an inactive state of confusion. For this reason, Taihen kept smoothing her fingers along the soft, pithy wood of the arrow the Dog Goddess had given her, torn by her indecision as to whether to use it or not.

And what, she asked herself, was right, in this instance? To obey Mother and Master Naraku whom had raised her since before she could remember, those whom had taught her how to hunt and to survive in a fight against even the toughest of demons? Or was it wrong to use it?

Somehow the strange figure that called herself the Dog-Goddess made the situation all the more confusing. Indeed, now that Taihen thought about it there might have been a whiff of dog demon odor in the air but such a marking had been deeply masked by the billowing of cherry blossoms. It was, distinctly, possible, that the Dog Goddess was not at all whom she should be, but rather an enemy demon in disguise.

"I will have to ask Master Naraku," Taihen intoned.

But then the very thought caused the hanyou to freeze up in fear. Ask Naraku? If she did and it turned out the goddess was real, she would have no choice but to destroy her father. Naraku would demand it. Taihen sat there, uncertain what to do until, suddenly, an exciting revelation came to her.

"I can use mother's mirror!" Taihen squeaked out excitedly like the young hanyou she was. Looking around stealthily, she crept into a bush. After making sure that Mother or one of Naraku's saimyoushu was watching, Taihen snuck into the cave where she dwelt with her the Demoness Senestice.

There, standing by the wall in the rear of the living room was a mirror. The magic mirror that Taihen had seen Senestice use many times before in battle, the mirror she herself had been taught to use. Carefully, she drew the protective cover off the polished face of the silver mirror with a pair of dragons winding round the back. Tapping fingers expectantly on the surface, Taihen drew out the arrow and let it remain, reflected, until a silvery mist began to percolate from the mirror and wend round the arrow. Withdrawing it, Taihen peered into the mirror face, which had now become like to a windowpane into a distant past- the memories, the origin of the arrow itself.

Taihen scoffed. The arrow, it seemed, was an ordinary one. It had been made by a simple villager, easy enough to kill, then given to a one-eyed crone of an old woman, also easily killed, and then...

Taihen sat up. There in the mirror's depths was a young human priestess, oddly dressed in a green skirt and a short white kimono, covering only her torso. A green collar with a red ribbon were there also. Who was this young woman? She looked and sounded greatly like the female hanyou whom fought along her father's side. It was also a face that elementally seemed familiar. Taihen focused and caught a thread of her conversation. The important part.

"Kaede," a young girl, newly fallen down the well giggled. "What do you call this arrow again?"

"It is called the arrow of sealing, my girl," said Kaede standing nearby with a patient and approving smile. "It is the same spell that Kikyo used to pin Inuyasha to the Goshinoboku and is a basic of all miko training. Learn it well, girl, and you will do well toward controlling your powers."

"Okay," said Kagome taking aim at a tree, already pocked with the effects of archery practice. "Here goes nothing!"

A vibrant pink glow lit up along the arrow's tip as if a consuming fire and then, the arrow was released. But instead of hitting its target the arrow abruptly disappeared. The elder miko and the young girl in training both searched the bushes and commented on the strange disappearance, but it was only Taihen who knew. The Dog Goddess, with her ability to manipulate time, had taken it.

Looking down at the arrow in her hand with a strange sort of reassurance, Taihen let the magic of the mirror still. Her heart beat in exultation. She wouldn't have to destroy Inuyasha after all! She could trick Naraku into thinking she had obeyed him. All she had needed to do so now lay in her hands and she thanked the Dog Goddess reverently.

Ultra short, yes but I gotta go to work now, bye!


	94. Chapter 94

Whew! Working two jobs this summer (plus overtime) but here's an update. Lemmi know what you think. And of course you know I don't own Inuyasha.

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**Chapter 94: An Unexpected Storm**

Taihen leapt upwards to become shrouded in the dense shadow of leaves. Then she swiveled her ears around, checking to see if she had eluded capture. But silence dominated the world around her, punctuated only by the shrill chorus of woodland birds. It all added up to one conclusion, one very welcome to the inu hanyou- at last, she was alone.

It had been simple enough for Taihen to fool her mother, Senestice, in order to steal away from home unaccompanied. The ice demoness had put up only a half-hearted attempt to pursue her since Taihen's rebellious forays to go hunting or fighting had come to be an expectation. Still, the inu-hanyou knew that did not mean that she was not watched. No, Taihen had found out the hard way that no matter how unwatched she seemed to be, one of Naraku's minions was forever shadowing her.

Ears twitching with remembrance, Taihen could recall the first time she had ever seen a saimyoushou. On that spring day, she had been playing out in a meadow which, like all other such meadows had notably little opportunity for cover. Quite suddenly and alarming to the young hanyou, Taihen heard a deafeningly loud buzz. In reaction, she had leant down on the ground on all fours. Then, stalking just a housecat would its prey, she had slid through the short bushes and clumps of grass to glide ever closer to the odd sound which enticed her. Lain flat on her stomach, Taihen had looked up to see a crimson-eyed insect struggling to find its perch on a branch far too weak for it so that it collapsed under its weight. Inwardly, the hanyou had laughed at the insect. She did not wait until it righted itself before throwing crimson blades of blood at it. There was a satisfying tear as the creatures' wings and flesh were severed into several chunks. Then, licking her arm where she had cut into it, Taihen had crept forward cautiously to sniff at the strange creature. Since her enemy had put up little resistance she soon bored with it. Taihen could recall moving away from her prey with a haughty sniff to resume chasing butterflies in the open meadow.

In her innocence, Taihen had dismissed the encounter entirely. But regrettably her slaying of the saimyoushou had proved less than fortuitous. No more than a few seconds after she had resettled herself on a comfortable patch of clover, Taihen's adoptive mother, Senestice, appeared along with Kagato, an incarnation of Naraku whom smelled of mud and water. She was flown to Naraku on one of Senestice's iceclouds and Taihen could not recall her mother ever looking so grim. Soon they arrived at the secret hideout where their master aboded. Previously, Taihen had always been shown the utmost benevolence by Naraku. However, after slaying the Saimyoushou, Taihen met with a surprising change in treatment.

She had been rebuked and then, on Naraku's orders, punished by Kagato. The memory of those few days still sent shivers up and down Taihen's spine; and yet, Taihen could not bring herself to hate her master or his minion, Kagato, for them. After all, Taihen understood violence. She was a warrior accustomed to injury and the concept of suffering. Her upbringing by the icedemoness Senestice had also influenced her deeply. Senestice's teaching had brought to her mind a sort of rigid discipline not dissimilar to that of human samurai in that the meaning of her life became the fulfillment of duty. No, to Taihen, Naraku's punishments were no more a just punishment from a superior, a form of proprietary discipline. Still, knowing what she did now, Taihen seriously doubted that she would ever dare to kill another one of Naraku's insects again. Her senses of duty and well-being both forbade it. So, over the years she had merely observed Naraku's informants, as she now knew them, from afar. She had gradually come to realize that at least one saimyoushou tailed her every moment that she was not in Senestice's presence. It was enough to make the young hanyou bode on the meaning behind it- concern perhaps or an ulterior motive. After completing several missions for Naraku Taihen had quickly come to realize that the elder demon was always full of sinister plots.

Flattening her ears and sinking lower on the tree branch, Taihen waited until a large, fat saimyoushou flew by her. It had become almost like a game of hide-and-seek between her and Naraku's informants. With a surety, Taihen knew that once she left her leafy cover to traverse the open ground, the saimyoushou would succeed in spotting her from some hundred feet high up in the air. But for the time being she was concealed, giving her a moment's secrecy.

Sensing the inevitable but not willing to be followed just yet, Taihen removed two precious objects from the front of her chrysanthemum-embroidered kimomo. The first was none other than Senestice's ice mirror. This she had stolen. The second was a small box containing a miko's sealing arrow which she had received from the Dog-Goddess. These two objects would serve as Taihen's ultimate weapons. They would also provide her with hope in her upcoming battle.

Before her run-in with the Dog-Goddess, Taihen had always expected that she and her mother would fight alongside one another against Inuyasha. Together, they would both defeat the white-eared hanyou and kill him, taking revenge for them themselves and Master Naraku whom seemed to hate the hanyou for no particular reason. But after that first fateful meeting with the Dog Goddess, Taihen's priorities had changed drastically. She could not, in the truthfulness of her heart, seek to destroy Inuyasha any longer.

No, instead Taihen would do all she could in her power to prevent Inuyasha's death by sealing the hanyou instead. This way, neither her mysterious father nor her adoptive mother would vanish completely. Taihen smiled at her own cleverness as she studied the second object she had drawn from her kimono- the small box containing a miko's sealing arrow. With large smirk, she hid the arrow and mirror away again. Then she sunk back to her branch and prepared to put her plan into action. First, she would have the saimyoushou spot her – intentionally.

In her earliest formative years, Senestice had taught Taihen many useful things about stealth and tracking. In doing this, she had inadvertently encouraged the black-and-white eared hanyou's inborne cunning. Using her training and talents now, Taihen rustled through the dense bushes only to emerge some fifty feet from where she had hidden, almost below one of the saimyoushou's feet. With a bored look, she yawned at it revealing her molars. Then, taking off in the directions of the mountains, Taihen broke into an easy lope. She chose a route familiar to the saimyoushou, one that lead to her favorite hunting grounds.

There, on a mountain and beneath the threaded curtain of a waterfall lay Taihen's most cherished hunting den. She had chased several juvenile wolf demons from it years ago. Indisputably, it now belonged to her. Taihen's own scent was lain thick on the walls and burrowed into the many hides and furs that warmed it. Dropping down next to a small sunken firepit, Taihen prepared a small meal of rice and boiled vegetables. Unlike her mother, Taihen occasionally she dined on a more human fare. With a yawn, she snuggled down under a large heap of furs and let her small fire dwindle completely. As the flickering light dimmed even the fat saimyoushou which Taihen had spotted earlier settled onto its favorite perch to sleep. Little did the saimyoushou know that the young inu-hanyou would vanish from its presence before the last dropping of the coals.

Two bright embers of hazy amber gleamed in the darkness only for a moment before they were squeezed shut. A soft shuffling sounded against cavern walls, detectible only to demonic ears, before the cool, lapping waters of a subterranean pool were reached. A subtle slash sounded as a form slide beneath the waves to gently echo within the inky pool of the cavern. Then, the form transforming into the faintest shadow, it glided several feet only to dart past the transparent beads of the waterfall. Breath was held until the form had come to some reeds some fifty feet distant from the cave's entrance. The saimyoushous' eyes remained vacant, blinded by sleep. The form turned and swam away again.

Three miles down current, Taihen rose with a mighty gasp and dragged herself out onto a muddy riverbank. Without pause, she flounced into the forest to conceal herself beneath a blanket of shrub. Only then did she comply with her instincts, shaking her clothes and hair out like a dog so that orbs of chill moist flew from her body to disappear amongst the already damp leaves of the understory. Taihen gave one last, satisfied sniff. Then she sprang into the air in a majestic leap, so protracted that it seemed that the clouds themselves stalled her feet from meeting up with that task master known as gravity. No, as the night fell and day blossomed across an awesome, horizontal cerulean, Taihen remained half-running, half-floating above the landscape in a hast-filled journey to a village which was a broken mixture of memories and dreams.

It was a tumultuous journey. Days later Taihen passed through a ravine where her father had been. It was indeed curious to her. The young inu-hanyou discovered his clawmarkings on rocks and in various caves as if this was a place he had frequented often in his life. Places too stale to have been visited for many a year and places still fresh. As she stood there faced with his indirect presence, Taihen felt her breath quicken in excitement.

Soon, there it was. Stood aloft on a tree on top of a mountain, Taihen looked down on a sprawling valley with a puny, but prosperous village. She smiled, half in delight, half in sorrow. But she pushed all feelings of longing aside as she slunk towards the forest and a tree known as Goshinoboku.

* * *

Inuyasha sighed, fidgeting against his restlessness as Kagome stacked yet another parcel of market goods on his already heavily laden arms. The weight was not what bothered him- no he hardly felt them at all- the point was that he was waiting and above all things this was something that he was incapable of. Reaching his limits of patience four minutes after the shopping trip began, Inuyasha dumped a whole cartload worth of boxes onto the dusty street. Then, rummaging around he found himself something to occupy himself with- a half-dozen of carefully wrapped bean jam buns. He had wolfed down seven of them before Kagome turned around from where she was talking to the merchant. Her eyes lit up immediately with a most livid expression. 

"Inuyasha!" she shouted. Inuyasha held the remaining three bean jam buns above his head in anticipation.

"Sit boy, sit boy, sit boy!" Kagome cried. Shippo, holding young Sumire in her baby basket, gazed down into the depths of a smoking crater where a battered yet triumphant hanyou held the box of pastry aloft.. The kitsune gave a wicked grin and promptly tore the box away.

"Yum, thank you Inuyasha!" the young fox cub grinned. Uruwashii, whom was stood next to her brother in the guise of a human woman, took one of the rolls from the box also. At the same time, a disembodied tail wrapped around the last roll to levitate it eerily to the outstretched hands of her recently wedded husband, Kohaku the Second. The two newly weds shared a conspiratory grin with one another as Shippo broke out into a despairing wail.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome steamed, still ranting. "Those supplies are for the villagers! You know better than to eat them!"

It was true. The rice harvest had been poor this year in Kaede's Village. Insects, blight, and a dry planting season had pared the bushels of rice grown to practically nill. Rather than watch the villagers starve all around them, not to mention suffer themselves, Inuyasha and Kagome had decided to make use of their "wealth" to purchase food from other villages far away. Kagome had sold some old Anime posters she was not fond of, fetching a great deal of money. On his part, Inuyasha had made a nearly undetectable dent into the wealth left to him by his father, Inutaisho, which, strangely enough, had included many chestfulls of outdated human currency. It did not matter to anyone if the stamps on each coin were outdated by several emperors since they were gold after all.

So here they were now, collecting every bit of food they could purchase in order to transport it back to Kaede's village. With an exception to Inuyasha, it was not an unpleasant task to the group as they scouted out the merchants of their third and final village. Soon, they anticipated climbing back over the mountains and wending their way to Kaede's Village. Since the villagers knew they would be bringing food, they might even find a celebration at their homecoming. The kitsunes and young demonslayer looked forward to such revelry.

But Inuyasha did not. Forever irritable about having to act as a good person and too embarrassed to be given credit for it, Inuyasha had been complaining the whole journey. He only hoped to be able to crawl off somewhere before Kaede caught up with them.

As the lazy afternoon turned into dusk, Inuyasha insisted that they not stay at an inn. With the exception to Kohaku, all of them were part demon after all. So they traveled by night, under the comforting blush of a full moon. Inuyasha felt his youkai rustle with energy as the shadows rose beneath him, crisp and well defined.

Soon they reached a familiar valley and here he stopped, riveted by the odor. Someone had passed through here… someone he had long ago given up hope of seeing.

"She's here," Inuyasha muttered. The others came to a standstill and Shippo tentatively sniffed the air. His eyes widened.

"Taihen!" he uttered. Inuyasha only shook his head gravely.

"Taihen? Who is Taihen?" It was Uruwashii whom asked this. She along, with the infant Sumire and the younger Kohaku were ignorant of her existence. However, Inuyasha and Kagome were not. They looked at each other with wide eyes. Would their secret now be told?

Shaking off the moment of truth, Inuyasha went to stand by a cliff fall. Standing amidst the loose talus, he did not notice as Uruwashii came to stand behind his shoulder. He did notice however when she moved forward to sniff at the rockwall he was staring at, which had been scored with the travel marks of two hanyous, himself, and more recently, that of his daughter. Her tiny clawprints lay assertively across his. It was an obvious challenge.

"But that's," Uruwashii interjected into his thoughts. "But that's your scent, and that of Sango's. But that means…"

"It is Kohaku's elder sister," Inuyasha spoke in a gravelly voice, interrupting her. "Taihen." All fell silent at this remark. The full moon carried on, oblivious to their confusion. However, the wind was not impassive to them and it voiced their fears with a groaning moan to dash them into darkness.


	95. Chapter 95

I don't own Inuyasha. He owns me. (Just kidding.)

**Chapter 95: Remembrance by the Dog-Goddess**

It is at this point in the tale that I, she who is known to mortals as the Dog-Goddess, feel it necessary to add in that little convention referred to as a flashback. My memories, stretching across eons so distant that they are faded like threadbare lines, never-the-less remain firm and substantially creased like a doll of origami paper towards those memories which I deem to be of an important matter. My conversation with Inuyasha'a father remains one of them.

True, in the grand scheme of things it seems not long ago that the Great Dog-Demon lived. It was only yesterday to me. But my mind has a habit of playing tricks with me and discarding essential things it shows an obstinate disinterest in, such as the contents of my grocery list. In doing so, it creates innumerable inconveniences for me.

But to his credit, the Great Dog Demon, Inutaisho, is an individual whom I most vividly remember. From the days when he was first pupped to his rise to power to his decline and fall, all of these memories remained in me chiseled indelibly for he was a personage never to be forgotten even from the start. His strength of being, strength of character, independent mind, and wisdom all flooded through him to make him compelling. I knew from the moment I first laid eyes on him he would be the one to be next Taiyoukai. He proved me correct on that assumption.

But that is not all I remember of Inutaisho. No, I remember his beloved Iyazoi as well and that brings us to the conversation I had with him. It is one of the most unforgettable I have ever had the honor of having.

Inutaisho stood hunched upon the side of the mountain, the wind blowing his two feathery scruffs which wend around sinuously thanks to the harsh, beating winds. He did not turn. Instead for a long time he remained seemingly oblivious to my presence as I skirted amongst the craigy junipers lining the vertically imposed canyon. The polite pause he gave to my recognition allowed me to have a chance to look at him.

Inutaisho was handsome, with two long lines shaped like crescent moons enhancing each cheek. These ice-struck curves gave his undereyes a sort of ruggedness to counter the natural softness of his pearly, incandescent skin. Indeed, the man had a nearly glowing attractiveness to him, from the way his chin was rounded just so that it begged a woman's touch, to the way his silvery hair majestically flowed like dripping threads of water. He looked like he had fallen out of the moon that I am so fond of.

But Inutaisho also had certain sternness about him, a serious frankness toward life that comes to those seasoned in it. He wore his battles well, his memories cloaking him as his armor did so that he was well protected and formidable at any moment. His glower, a protype of the bitter anger that would forever be worn by Sesshomaru, graced his lips and matched everything about him from his pointed boots to his falcate sword forever at the ready. There was a certain regalness about the Great Dog Demon that made him seem untouchable, even to a goddess such as myself. At the same time, his eyes burned forever with a kind of liquid warmth unmatchable by any other being, his wildly rebellious and passionate personality igniting at the least provocation. He was truly an astonishing presence.

I fell in love with Inutaisho just a little bit just as I have thousands of other humans or dog-demons over the centuries. But I quickly got over it as I remembered the prophecy I myself had untumbled from the twisted fabrics of time. These fabrics are made, yes, by the gods to some extent but they are woven by the choices of mortals and immortals also. So it was that one morning I looked up and found a new thread, tied between the plains of mortals and immortals and screaming a life coated with vermillion red. I knew, instantly what had happened. Inutaisho's sweetheart, Iyazoi, was in child.

It was by cause of this reason that I stood here at that moment, absorbed in the brilliance of a second moon descended to earth. I flitted about the shadows a little bit longer, afraid of discovery before drifting down to the all radiant being. Inutaisho never turned around. He had known I was there all along. I think we both knew.

"Goddess," the Great Dog Demon tumbled out reverently, his voice thrumming with chords of evaluation. I bowed my head neatly as I had to my own Dog-Demon father eons ago. Inutaisho was, after all, the current ruler of my earth-bound clan. As such, he was entitled to respect. Like to a moon, my gesture affected no response, only a studied reflection.

"Inutaisho," I tried again, summoning my time-god heritage to my courage. "It seems to me as if you have come to some sort of decision." I let the words falter there, the unspoken thoughts blown as if on the whistling gale between us. We both knew what his decision was, and I for my part, knew what would be the consequences of it. And yet, there would be no interfering.

"You know, don't you Time-Goddess?" rumbled out Inutaisho with an almost velvety whine underlying his harsh words. "It is said that you alone know the ways to protect a hanyou from its own youkai power. Please, if you bear loyalty to your own kind or compassion to your kindred, help me to protect my precious child unborn." Inutaisho did not need to explain to explain the heritage. We had both seen Iyazoi. Yet the dried leaves of an ancient tragedy reoccurring brought a sigh to my bones as well for the future. Too well I remembered my brother. He had been the first hanyou and tearfully, not the last.

So I stared down at him, the Dog-Demon I had given subtle warning not a full year ago. It had been a warm autumn's day then. My distant yet nearest kinsman had introduced me to Iyazoi to evoke my blessing. I had given her warning instead. Yet, the ears of neither of the two lovers choose to heed it. Now, I knew both would suffer. Caught in the thorny fingers of a juniper bush, I let my eyes sharpen to show my displeasure. But my heart, by far went out to the child.

"Time-Goddess?" His broken voice suddenly brought tears to my eyes as I found that I loved Inutaisho even more than before. Only this time, it was as a devotee. With his request he had become one of my innumerable yet precious children. Yet, predominantly, I loved Inutaisho because he had dared to father a hanyou. My voice tightened and it betrayed my incredulity.

"You would love a hanyou?" I asked plainly. "No matter what the consequences to yourself, you would acknowledge it as your own?" There was a more than a solemn look on his face that left no room for disbelieving. I gave my all to him as soon as he opened his mouth to acknowledge what his face was betraying.

"Then I will ask you to bring me the swordsmith, Totosai, as well as the Tetsusiaga. The sword must be reforged in order to make it a vessel for your child's youkai." Inutaisho's eyes lit up with an almost brilliant hopefulness and I nearly half-laughed, half-cried in spite of myself. Inutaisho was one of only a handful of beings in all of existence whom would have acknowledged my brother. I continued.

"I will help you as you have requested. However, I must warn you that your fabled sword, Tetsusiaga, must be given to your youngest. Under no circumstance must it be granted to one of the elders."

"I shall," Inutaisho nodded. "It is only fitting after all that the child inherit the sword forged to protect his mother. I assume, since you wish me to will it Tetsusiaga that the child will be a boy?"

"Yes," I said with my eyes crinkling as I thought on this happier topic. "He will be the strongest of all your children and one day find his place as Taiyoukai in your stead." Inutaisho was taken aback. For a long minute, he stared back at me searching. I demonstrated my seriousness by assuming stone-like features. At last, both of us were satisfied and I continued.

"Do not mistake that his life will necessarily be a happy one," I scolded, "for as a hanyou the child will undergo his own share of hardships. It may be that you yourself will not live to see the day he is grown." Rolling my eyes, I reflected on the deliberately hidden truth of my statement- that he would see much, much less of Inuyasha than the day he might be considered an adult.

"But the truth remains that his life has been marked by the weavers of fate. One day he will be mighty among demons."

Inutaisho smiled, a warm glow of pride exuding. I could not bring myself to take that from him. So, instead of allowing him to realize how cruel the weavers of fate would be to child, I let him dwell on the transient greatness of Taiyoukai.

The bliss of ignorance was all I could give the Great Dog Demon at this moment. I was satisfied. He was never to know that he and his eldest son would die shortly after, his kingdom crumbling. He was never to know that his new son's life would be painted several layers deep with sorrow and vermillion. He was never to know that the mortal woman he loved would die alone and in sorrow, not knowing the whereabouts of her banished and wild-cast child. But most importantly of all, Inutaisho was never to know that he had brought about the key to the changing of the ages. It had been whispered about in every dimension for several centuries now- the war between demon and humans was coming to an end. All it would take to achieve is the ruthless sacrifice of two all-powerful hanyous.

And it was preciously because Inuyasha was one of these two sacrificial hanyous that I volunteered myself to be this particular half dog-demon's tormentor. I would lay the traps that created Naraku and gave birth to the second, undead Kikyo. Borrowing from the power of Goshinoboku and calling upon the jewel of Midoriko, I forged a destiny for all of Japan by bringing sorrow to the piteous hanyou. In truth, my rending Inuyasha's heart with tragic love was the kindest thing I could do for him since my immortal sisters, untainted by blood of the living, are incapable of compassion. If I had left his life up to them, they would have been far less merciful towards him in order to obtain the era's transition.

No, because I stood between him and my loveless counterparts, Inuyasha would find some measure of happiness in the end. I would grant him the bounties of fortune, happiness, love, and children. I would give him everything that no hanyou before had ever achieved. For me, it was my own private dream to see this one hanyou flourish because if I did, I knew that others would follow. It all fit in with the transition of the ages. But mostly, I did it for my own selfish reasons. I did it to honor the nightmarish memories of my beloved brother. I also did it to create an acceptance of my own longing. Yet, in order to justify this one gift of happiness for Inuyasha, the cruel demands of fate would first have to be satisfied.

So it was that by my own ruthless hands, I would mar Inuyasha's life. It was I who brought about the creation of Taihen. Strange as it may seem, her existence became essential in the destruction of the Shikon No Tama. The initial tragedy of her life was required since simply put, the jewel could not continue to exist without resolution. It created too much a disturbance between mortal and immortal worlds. Besides this, despite my using it as a tool to instigate the conflict between two hanyous, the jewel itself was a representation of all I was trying to destroy- the bloody and endless conflict between humans and demons, caught all together on a spinning orb, hidden beneath the watchful sun. Like to the earth it exemplified, the shikon no tama could never know peace so long as those with the will to fight still lived with the cause. For this reason it was necessary that the earth be cleansed in one bloody bath, exiling all those demons whom preyed upon humans to Hell. It was for this reason that I created Naraku. He absorbed so many of the man-eating demons that soon the word demon became synonymous for myth. It was for the remainder of demons that the fates created Inuyasha. He would lead the survivors into the new era as Taiyoukai, just as I had promised his father. Only just not yet.

Looking down from my sky-scraped branch, I studied the full and majestic figure of the dog-demon Taiyoukai, Inutaisho. His presence there before my nose was a reminder of the moment I was currently floating in and so I shuddered, shaking off the threads of time, the memories and premonitions that held me tangled in distraction for what seemed like eternity, yet was no more than one pulsing of my ageless heart. With a great, painful effort, I forced a smile onto my face to hide the tears I would never cry. No. Never as a Goddess.

"Inutaisho," I said granting the Great Dog Demon my favor despite its lack of guardianship as a lord would show his vassal. The gods must turn deaf ears on the living sometimes. It is what makes us gods.

"I will do all in my power to see that your line continues and that your hanyou son will flourish. I will see to it that he will never forget his parents nor despise either of his two peoples. I will promise to you that I will use all my abilities to raise him into a compassionate ruler, impulsive, yet wise and wonderful in his own way. In time, he will indeed become praiseworthy."

My eyes softened as I contemplated the glorious future. It would be a harsh reality for the unborn pup, yes, but it would also be a life full of unprecedented love. Such a tender and complete marriage awaited Inuyasha that my plans for him bore the undisguised stamps of my hopeless romanticness, but I supposed I could allow this weakness of mine for the sake of the child. After all, I am supposed to be Protector to the House of Inutaisho. It was in my duty's interest that I encourage the perpetuation of the line of Inutaisho. And so I spoke one last time, in this conversation I would recall through all times immemorial by cause of the emotive content which it held for me.

"Taiyoukai, if it is all right with you I have a suggestion." Great pools of liquid amber met my own and I blinked.

"My Lord, by your permission might I suggest that your son be named Inuyasha? It is a strong name for such a strong child."

"Inuyasha?" The Great Taiyoukai mimicked the collection of sounds I had made, tentatively. He would remain uncertain of it, I knew, until he saw the child himself. It was at that moment when, dying, he first and last saw the infant hanyou cradled in his beloved's arms that he would embrace the concept fully. He would give this odd name to the child before him as a testimony to his belief in his son's coming greatness. In an peculiar fashion, the usage of the name was also a testament to Inutaisho's unwavering belief in me. It is not in the least bit embarrassing for me to admit that I cried for Inutaisho at his passing- as a kinsman.

Some say still that Inutaisho was a great demon, wise in the way of conquest if not the kami. But I believe, that among all the Great Taiyouaki since my father's death, he had been the one to come closest to the way of the kami. Inutaisho had chosen to love and to protect humans, even unto to the point of death and for this, I would never forget him. For me he was and always will remain the greatest of all Taiyoukai.

Author notes: Okay, no more flashback. Look out Inuyasha! Taihen comes to say hello. (Don't worry, nobody is going to die. Just pretend that you believe in the fake-outs. It's all good and fun dramatic tension.)


	96. Chapter 96

I don't own Inuyasha. Otherwise I would make Viz do better translations, and never flip the pages.

**Chapter 96: Visualization**

The trees shivered under the harsh wind of a thunderclouded sky. Kagome shivered, feeling the wind flap and crawl against her skin. It was almost as if it was telling her to stay away, to run. Her sense of forewarning only increased as lightening crackled, haughtily, within a vortex in the sky. Shaking her head ruefully, she knew. It was time.

Taihen was her child as well as Sango's. For a few short years Kagome had nursed Taihen, raised her, cherished her as her own. It had been hard on her certainly since there was always the glaring reality that Taihen had been birthed as Sango's child. And yet, sometimes within the half-forgotten and dreamlike time she and Taihen had been together, Kagome had almost forgotten sometimes Taihen was not her second born. An instinct, born of the need to nurture and to protect, the same which bound her to Shippo, had caused to unconsciously accept the small girl. And yet, now, Kagome was uncertain. A stranger stood and whipped the wind to screams with her vehement fury. Kagome shivered once again and ran hands up and down her arms to sooth the goosebumbs which prickled there. Somehow, she had the sensation that today would be her last. The forgotten taste of fear was acrid in her mouth and she thought of the possibilities of the meeting. Would Taihen die? Would Inuyasha? And most importantly, would Taihen come home? Kagome grew terrified. If only she could flee… flee the resolution.

Uncertain what to do and uncharacteristically numb by her fears, Kagome shifted her gaze upon her hanyou husband. He looked... regal again. So thoughtful. Silhouetted on the crest of a hill, he seemed so strong, so confident. If only his heart was so decisive as his glowing visage. At the other end of their bond Kagome could feel his heart flipping, twinging painfully in the fears they both now shared. Inuyasha looked back her. He smiled weakly.

"So Kagome. It ends today?"

"Hai," was her silent answer. The wind tore the word away so that only her lips were moving.

Inuyasha scowled and hunched over, his eyes shaded by his bangs. A weary hand rose to his Tetsusiaga and rested on it, as if to draw strength from it. Kagome's heart tingled. She wanted to go up to him, to offer Inuyasha her comfort. But she knew it would offend him. He did not need it. Instead, she watched the warrior within him come tumbling out. His back straightened and his ears stood aloft. Then, only then did she praise him. It was only a gentle murmuring, like a small current of feeling, the actual words unimportant. But the connection caught and bound between them. It was full of strength, full of love. Inuyasha smiled again, this time boldly.

As the arrogant flash of his fangs vanished, Inuyasha settled into somberness. With a decisive step, he led them forward, into the unsteady future. It was as she watched his solid back that a peculiar thought that sometimes prickled at the back of Kagome's mind returned. "He is a grown man," she thought. A surge of pride overwhelmed her.

Inuyasha and Kagome neared the center of the swirling vortex. As they walked closer and closer they came to realize it emanated from none other than the bows of Goshinoboku. But then, the source of the radiance stopped and they were left standing in an almost clouded atmosphere. Kagome's heart felt heavy in her chest. She heard her husband call out a single name- "Taihen." Licking her lips, Kagome lifted her voice to join his.

A sharp, metallic singing sound replied. Kagome ducked, and rubbed her cheek which suddenly stung. Shurikens. Kagome was aghast at the amount of blood that poured from her fingers and her eyes narrowed. "Inuyasha watch out!" she shouted as she leapt. Kagome could feel the leaves and tiny fingers of branches snapping all around her as she ascended through them with mighty whoosh. Then all was silent. Vague half-whispers floated through her mind as she listened.

The ground exploded with an unrighteous boom. Only where there was earth before there were suddenly crystals and tendrils of ice which looked vaguely familiar. Kagome gasped.

"Inuyasha look out! It's that mirror!" In a dead panic, Kagome hurdled herself to get nearer to him. Inuyasha stood, stance unwielding before the oncoming turrent. Then, with a single wide arcing sweep, he putted the bombardment away so that it left only sputtering sparks on the edge of his Testsusiaga.

"Give it up already," Inuyasha said vehemently to the trees. "Taihen, we know you're there. Come out." The rumbling descending into stillness was the only answer. And then … a call.

Inuyasha and Kagome both perked up their ears as a shrill whistle played. A spectral bird answered, soaring over them with a broken glass cry. Then, it dove, folding its wings neatly against its sides so that it became a dagger falling to the earth. As it fell, it became enveloped in a flame of lightning blue fire, leaving pillars of ice wherever its wings swept. Inuyasha leapt out of the bird's way as it sought to peck him. At every miss, the once lush green grass turned into a frozen tundra.

Left, right, left, right. Inuyasha ducked all advances. He could not keep backing away forever, however. This he had learned well long ago. So, instead of ducking he blocked with his sword just long enough to gain that precious fraction of a second to push off. With a backwards flip he tumbled out of harm's way. He gathered his claws together and, as he pushed off again to evade the bird diving at him, threw blades upward to connect with the ice bird's belly. The agonized cry of broken crystal resounded.

"Nanishii!" a young girl called. The ice bird raised its head. The wounds healed enough for it to move again, the bird flew to the young girl's shoulder. Taihen stood aloft, exposed in a tree. She gazed down at her spectators proudly. They could help but stare up at her reverently.

Taihen was the portrait of immaculancy. Her snowy white hair was flawlessly braided and pinned in several high, trailing loops. Her coat of armor was resplendid, with a sheen that only comes from daily polishing. No crust of mud bedecked her sleeve. Instead, her brilliantly black and white kimono, rolled up and tied back with a men's belt instead of a decorative obi, flowed down around her form gracefully yet without excess, allowing her to move freely. Taihen crouched. She lay her hand supportively before her on the tree branch and glared.

"Surrender your life, Inuyasha," Taihen demanded. "I would give your life to my Master Naraku." Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly. He took up a defensive stance behind his Tetusiaga. Kagome sheltered herself behind him.

"Taihen, sweety, can't we talk?" Kagome pleaded the young hanyou. Taihen's answer was smileless.

"No." Her answer was made genuine by the handful of ice shurikens that she threw at them, one of which hit Kagome in the side. She clutched her hand over the wound painfully.

"Stay back, Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. "I'll take care of this!" Taihen smiled. She pulled a naginata from the halter on her back and swung it.

"Ice scar!" she shouted. Instantly, a rush of freezing air intertwined with youkai wind to leave a crater scattered with living ice. The naginata still lain on top of the ground, the living ice receded into the blade to disappear. Involuntarily, Kagome reached back for one of her arrows.

"No Kagome!" panicked, Inuyasha held up a hand beseechingly. Kagome nodded, unable to explain her reflex or to go against his decision.

Pulling together his courage and emptying his mind of his distracting thoughts, Inuyasha ran forward. His sword met time and time against the face of Taihen's naginata. Her wrist was weaker than his, he could feel it. Yet, he could not bring himself to endanger her. He could not break the blade from her grasp until it was away from her body. So he sheathed the Tetsusiaga. Instead, he worked his way forward, ducking around her calculated swings until he was close to her body. He waited until the opportune moment when the naginata was lifted above her head for a downward sweep. Poised low on the ground below her, Inuyasha wrenched his body upright redrawing his sword from his sheath. He rammed toward her blade, putting all his shoulder into the sideways motion. It was only then that he noticed something wrong.

Instead of fighting to regain control of the weapon, Taihen's naginata fell to the ground with a gentle clop. A tiny formed used its diminuitive size to slip around Inuyasha. The next moment after he had first discerned the trick, Inuyasha found himself gasping, choking on blood. He stepped back, extracting a dagger from his ribs. Taihen was laughing.

"Something wring Otosan? You'll never beat me if you hold back. Naraku trained me after all." The golden eyes of the elder hanyou, narrowed. Still, he said nothing.

Kagome stood in the background, fidgeting. She watched diligently as Inuyasha renewed his assault on his seemingly lost daughter. Then, hearing a soft whistling of air changing its pressure behind her, she ducked. Blessing her hanyou ears, Kagome turned to face the spectral bird Taihen called Nanishii. Talons spread before and she ducked, rolling away to the side. As she did so, she involuntarily lost hold of her arrow quiver. It was the opportunity Taihen was waiting for.

"Nanishii!" she cried giving out a small kick and fleeing herself. She and the spectral bird retreated to her lofty branch. Then, hidden behind Nanishii's protective fire she withdrew Kagome's arrows and snapped them all, one by one. Satisfied that they were all now unsuitable for use as weapons, she took a small box from the front of her kimino to remove one very special object from it.

Taihen stood there for one long moment, admiring the soft glow of the arrow the time-goddess had frozen, halfway through a miko's sealing spell. The priestess known as Kagome's to be exact. With a long grin at the irony she was playing a part in, Taihen dropped the sacred arrow into Kagome's quiver, leaving it the single unbroken arrow in the whole lot. Triumphantly, Taihen called Nanishii's shielding fire away. Now, she and her spectators could see one another. With a great display of scoff, she threw the quiver of damaged arrows at Kagome's feet. Perfectly, the once human priestess clasped the damaged bundle to her chest.

"You might as well throw them away," the black and white-eared hanyou sniffed. "I broke them all." She overlooked the moment when Kagome's eyes widened as she discovered the solitary unbroken shaft, thinking it a great secret. Taihen blinked away. Now all that was left was to trick her into firing it.

That in itself was far less easy to do. Taihen could see it. The once human priestess Kagome, now a hanyou, worked in perfect concert with her father. She would not disobey the wish he had expressed to her. Now, as the battle became more serious the young hanyou seemed to be playing a game of catch or maybe even hide-seek as she danced around the two elder hanyous as they harried her, pursuing her through the treetops. With an upward swing, Taihen cleared the canopy only to find herself almost grabbed from midair. She spun around and dove back into the branches to hide. She panted. The battle was quickly turning unfavorable to her. After all, she still possessed a child's body and lacked the stamina that a legendary warrior, like Inuyasha, had.

Cursing under her breath, Taihen slid her naginata into its halter. It would do not good to her now. Using it any more would only tire her more quickly. It was time to rely on youkai magic.

Kagome stopped her rapid racing through the forest and let her tongue loll out of her mouth. Their pursuit of Sango's daughter, Taihen, had taken them at least thirty minutes already. Still, the little one managed to elude their grasp.

Kagome's lips almost snarled in frustration. After all these years they had finally found Taihen again but it might have been better if this confrontation had been sooner. The black-and-white eared hanyou was skillful, too skillful to be caught easily and Kagome was beginning to wonder if they would succeed at all. Especially considering that she had Nanishii. What if the child simply climbed on its back and flew away?

Shaking her tall ears furiously, Kagome allowed them to flop about in a foolish manner. The action seemed to clear her head a little and she settled down onto her arbor perch. Instead of living in her dread, Kagome chose to sift the air for the scent of her trusted mate. Immediately, she found him. Yes, Inuyasha was there a few feet beside her concealed in the foliage. He was few mere feet away from a downed treefall, presumably shelter to Taihen.

Kagome shifted over and prepared to drop closer to the entrance, in case the child managed to slip past Inuyasha or in case his back needed defending. But then something remarkable happened. A boomerang, like Sango's Hirikatose, but entirely made of ice came arching out of the small entrance. It hit Inuyasha nearly full on and with a startled cry Kagome watched him collide sickeningly into a tree thirty feet away. Every single one of his ribs were broken.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed nervously. Her plead went unanswered as Inuyasha fell nearly unconscious onto the forest floor. Her fingers on her bow tightened.

"Stop it Taihen! Don't hurt your father!"

"He's no father to me," said Taihen stepping out of the entrance. Her long braids had slipped to merge into one long ponytail. She glared at the prone figure haughtily. "I decide whom I will call family."

Yet, despite all her bold words Taihen's resolve was faltering. Taking one last look at the saimyoushou that had found her outside of Kaede's Village, she bit down on the side of her lips agonizingly. She would have to continue on with her plan in order to deceive Naraku.

Snatching Senestice's mirror from her sleeve pocket, Taihen spun it and cause it to levitate midair. The face of the mirror pointed skyward as it sunk down into a spreading glacier of ice. A sealed dome arose from its edges so that Inuyasha and Kagome were trapped within its barrier.

"No!" Kagome cried. With a look of utmost determination, she removed the unbroken arrow from her quiver and pointed it skyward toward the apex of the dome.

"Yes," Taihen said under her breath.

The arrow was fired, and then the unexpected. An unseen object caused the arrow to ricochet. To Kagome's utmost, sickening horror, it sunk deep into the chest of Inuyasha as he stood up, leaving him pinned to Goshinoboku. A startled expression crossed his face.

"Ka-go-me," he muttered with his hand stretched forth beseechingly only to drop. Kagome's scream turned into an inhuman howl of grief.

"No!" Kagome cried. "Give me my mate back!!!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," said Taihen with true sadness. She closed her hand upon the mirror's face and Kagome's prison was finalized. Beside the roots of Goshinoboku, the once priestess stood in a column of crystallized ice. With a scornful expression, Taihen looked up at the Saimyoushou which followed her.

"Take her away," she commanded. "She is my gift to Naraku." Just as her mother had taught her, her hand waved all unimportant things away. Instead she stood at her father's feet with a small tear.

"I swear to you. I will not let the miko's barrier be taken away by any who wish to harm you." Then, clambering aboard a greatly enlarge Nanishii, she flew away. The black-and-white eared hanyou disappeared into the rumbling distance.

Many miles away, at the temple of the former Tower of the Forbidden Ogre Sango and Miroku had been helping Momigi and Botan to subdue some pesky demons. They had sensed the disturbance broiling in the valley far below them and rushed on Kilala towards it. What they discovered on their arrival was a nightmare beyond imagination.

With tears streaming, Shippo ran up to them. He launched himself into Sango's arms with a loud wail.

"Sango. Sango... they're dead!!!" he cried. He buried his face in his paws with a guttural sob.

Author's notes: Don't worry. Nobody, I repeat nobody, is dead. It is just necessary for my story that Inuyasha be awakened and mourn for awhile. The wolf demons are coming back (just to show how much he cares about Kagome) and there's a bit of a reincarnation story coming right up. Hm, I wonder what their reincarnates are doing in Kagome's era just about now? It's Yasuo's time to shine. More Aijo coming up also. And don't worry, Taihen comes around and comes home... eventually.


	97. Chapter 97

**Chapter 97: Vanquished**

"Calm down Shippo!" Miroku admonished the wailing kitsune gently. "Inuyasha and Kagome-sama aren't dead."

"But I saw it! Inuyasha was hit by an arrow and Kagome was kidnapped by Naraku!" Miroku let his breath out in a soft whoosh of vexation.

"Yes, indeed Kagome-sama's dilemma is worrisome. But it is unlikely that Naraku will kill her when he has the chance to keep her his prisoner. As for Inuyasha, I can tell from here that his youkai is still actively flowing."

"His aura? What do you mean?" Sango prompted the monk to continue by giving him her full attention. Miroku rubbed the top of his head in frustration.

"It means, my dear Sango, that Inuyasha has been sealed again. I do not know precisely how such a thing could have happened, but it likely that the spell belongs to Kagome-sama. If we wish to the break the seal, we have no choice but to break her imprisonment."

"It will be difficult to find Naraku without Inuyasha."

"I know, Sango, but we must try. It is our only option."

"What if we found another miko stronger than Kagome-sama?"

"That is a possibility. Unlikely, but it may be an option. Well, come on Sango. We must prepare for our journey. Are you coming Kohaku, Uruwashii, Shippo?"

"Of course we are!" Shippo shouted angrily. "We can't let anything happen to Kagome!" His fists made little pinpricks in his palms so that they bled angrily.

Miroku nodded. "I knew we could count on you, Shippo."

"Wait Miroku!" called Sango. "What about the children!" She implied the triplets.

"As much as it pains me, we must leave them. They will be safe under the protection of your brother and his family."

"And what of Inuyasha?" Sango said lip quivering. Miroku looked at her in askance. Yet it was not a romantic love after all that drove her to say this. It was more complex than that, the quandary that best friends and ex's feel.

"The sealing spell placed on Inuyasha has two affects. The first is to bind him. The second is to seal him away from all those whom would harm him. If it were not so, then he would not have lasted that last fifty years. As long as the seal remains, no one, not even Naraku can touch him." This statement was met by no small amount of astonishment.

_Naraku's Hidden Cavern_

Naraku's lips twisted upwards in a sickening smile. It was proving difficult to decide whether to punish the upstart child of his enemy or not for going off on her own violition. On the one hand, Taihen had brought back the once troublesome priestess to be his prize ice statue. On the other, she had caused Inuyasha to slip beyond his reach. No, not even Naraku's most clever plottings could find way to destroy the hanyou now. The arrow's spiritual barrier saw to it that Inuyasha was completely inaccessible.

Running a clawed finger down the slick face of the ice Kagome was trapped within, Naraku glared. It would do well to leave the troublesome priestess sealed as well. He, Naraku, would keep her immobile here for eternity in her tomb of ice. She was, after all, a trophy to his glorious victory. Had not the girl he raised defeated Inuyasha? Was not his enemy sealed for all time? For, as he knew, only the maker of the seal or someone of greater ability could dissolve it. With a surety, Naraku was determined to make sure that Kagome never had a chance to remove the spell. No, instead he would keep her and if he tired of her he would kill her, dooming her white-eared lover to a vine-fashioned crypt against Goshinoboku.

A satisfied chuckle escaped Naraku. And yet he was disturbed by Taihen's strange behavior. Not only had she abandoned Senestice to take on the hanyou on her own, she was now delaying her return by wandering. Intuitively, he sensed a betrayal. Raising a long, clawed tendril of a hand he motioned toward a Saimyoushou. It flew close enough to listen to his orders. Then, crimson ruby eyes watched as the saimyoushou departed, obeying his will that it watch Taihen carefully; and the self-satisfied chuckle returned again.

_Somewhere in the Western Territories of Japan_

Aijo chewed on his bottom lip, the end of an ink brush held expertly between the tips of his teeth. This had been a challenging year for him, surely. Pulling the instrument from his mouth so that he could use it, he lowered it to the long scroll of rice paper which lay before him. After rechecking the many tabular columns, he signed his assumed human name to the paper with a mighty flourish. Then he carefully lay the brush aside and pulled a small bowl and grinding stone toward him. It was time to mix more ink, Aijo thought sadly to himself. He still had fifteen more scrolls of paperwork to finish.

Yes, it had indeed been a difficult year for him. He found himself challenged to settle into his new roles as parent and feudal lord. As if that was not enough, an infamous lord whom he knew would conquer most of Japan had deemed to bring war upon him. Fortunately for Aijo and his new, tender family, Sesshomaru had intervened. Literally overnight, the warlord's preparations against Aijo had ceased as he had discovered that Aijo was his "long lost ally". In many ways, the lie was convenient, especially since it gave him a "verified" identity.

At first, Lady Kuroi had been outraged. Intuitively, Aijo judged that if it were up to her, they would have done battle until they all died in what was supposed to be a glorious manner. It was the natural call to her heritage after all.

But after a few whispered explanations to her, Kuroi had been forced to abide by his judgment. Aijo's new wife had been strained toward him for a few days, but ultimately settled back into a relative complacency with him. For this, Aijo was infinitely grateful.

Yes, despite the problems life was indeed magnificent for him. After his magistratrial duties were completed in the main hall, each day he would retire to Kuroi's nursing wing, the quarters in which she resided. Here, Aijo would wile away the hours playing with his infant daughter and speaking quietly to Kuroi. She would smile at him, softly, at each new comment. Ever since they had come together as man and wife he had become Kuroi's entire world. Thus, for the most part every evening Aijo could look forward to a tender appreciation.

They talked about politics. They talked about festivals and the upkeep of temples. They talked about their precious daughter, Iyazoi. Then, when discussion fell to waste and poetry lay absent, they allowed the evening to become one with them as they played go, Iyazoi asleep on the tatami. It was a blissful living.

Still, there remained little things that bothered Aijo. This new life of his, in a way, was all about deception. Everyone but Kuroi and her neko youkai, Katana, mistook Aijo for a full-blooded human. Indeed, they were led on toward this deception by the fake family tree Kuroi had commissioned on his behalf, within her role as the mansion's keeper. Aijo could not count the number of times he had stopped still before it, staring with some degree of hurt that his dog-demon's heritage was completely absent. The names of his beloved parents, both of whom he respected more than anything else in the world, were replaced by the names of mere strangers. His own name was replaced by that of a mortal man long deceased.

Above all, perhaps, Aijo felt the weight of guilt that came from not contacting his parents. It had been a full two years now since he had left Kaede's Village. In all the time he had been in Kuroi's province, he had sent word to them once and in this letter he had omitted the truth of his marriage and new daughter. After Iyazoi's birth, Aijo had determined to tell Inuyasha about his new granddaughter, but it quickly became a phobia of his. Would his father approve? More importantly, how would they react now that it was apparent that Aijo was aging as an ordinary mortal, while they remained bound to their quintessential teen-ness? Despite his current happiness, Aijo could not shake off the unpleasant feeling which had driven him to leave home in the first place.

Sighing heavily, Aijo rolled up the rice paper scroll he had been working on and neatly secured its tieclasp. He twinged at his impulse for a Marlboro. Cigarettes were something he had given up years ago, yet the brief time he had spent as a heavy smoker of more than eighty packs per day left a certain burning taint in his blood even to this day. It was a reaction to stress that only Kuroi's soft hands, or maybe a glass of sake, could diminish.

Just as Aijo might have hoped for, Kuroi was waiting for him at the entrance to her quarters. With perfect understanding, she drew him inside the master bedroom, her hands on his shoulders as his drifted to her hips. Kuroi leaned up and pressed her mouth to his in a delicate kiss, then gestured. Wordlessly, Aijo disrobed his upper hakama and lowered himself to be seated on the tatami. A wave of relaxation washed over him as Kuroi's strong yet silken hands kneaded his shoulders, only to glide delicately in a caress along his backbone. Aijo growled pleasantly as her lips pressed themselves against his collarbone.

"So, have a good day?" Kuroi asked sweetly draped across his collarbone. How was one to know that this same woman had once been a brutal warrior?

"Yes," Aijo rumbled. "I got a lot of work done today." The world of work whirled through his mind consuming him and Kuroi had to fight to get him to pull free from its hypnotism. She stroked his chest pointedly.

"Tell me about it," she pouted. It was a way for her to be subtly demanding. Aijo did, after all, have an easily bruised ego.

The toil filled day began to obscure in the evening lamplight and Aijo quickly forgot that other world of his. It was here he was happiest, after all. It was here he was the part demon known as Aijo. Happily, he watched as little Iyazoi yawned, a few blunt fangs sticking out her only noticeable demonic feature.

"I'm sorry it took me so late," Aijo murmured burying his fingers in her hair to pull her closer to him. His own weariness was heightened by the warmth of her skin. "Let us retire early tonight." Kuroi's eyes twinkled.

Soundlessly, Aijo padded up to his dozing daughter. He carried her over to the raised platform where Kuroi slept and which, more often than not, he frequented. He placed Iyazoi carefully on one side of the bed and waited patiently for Kuroi to lie down next to her. Then, blowing out the lamplight Aijo settled himself on the furthest side. He wrapped a well-muscled arm around his wife's waistline. Yes, he thought sniffing into her long ebony locks, he was fortunate to have such a life to live in.

_Aijo's Province_

A crackle of thunder lit the pallid sky, leaving the clouds portent. Taihen peered down from Nanishii's back to survey a small human kingdom. Several thousand minor huts clustered in a valley surrounded by modest rice fields. Above them, perched like a turret on the side of a steep mountain, stood a worn fortress, the outer walls vast blocks of thick stone. "So", Taihen thought to herself wryly, "this is where my elder brother lives. At last I can pay him a visit."

Her hand clenched on her sword hilt. Yet the action was one borne of reflex. Although Taihen would indeed be acting as aggressor today, that was not the reason she had come here. She had no grudge against her brother, no burning wish to befriend him. Instead, Taihen had journeyed here for a very specific purpose, that of passing on the precious knowledge which the Dog-Goddess had given her in her dreams. Until it was passed on, until she had given the knowledge away to one who could help Inuyasha, the knowledge would continue to beat at her ribs sickeningly; and so the half-demon had chosen her quarter-demon brother to be its vessel. Soon, he would know her secret.

There was the matter to Naraku's spies, however. The saimyoushou continued to haunt her along her journey just as they had since catching up with her in Kaede's Village. With a scornful sniff, Taihen came to the realization that her encounter with her brother must needs, by necessity, be far from peaceful. Taihen was well aware what happened to people Naraku was displeased with and it was a great fear of hers to fall under this category. Thus, she would have to make this visit appear to be another one of her rebellious castle raids. Over her scant lifetime, there had been many.

Whipping out Senestice's ice-frosted mirror, Taihen raised it so that it would be level to the castle walls they were approaching. Although it would be a simple matter to simply fly in and drop into the castle's center, that would be no fun. There would be terrified screaming, no tripping humans or blood slick. With a wicked grin Taihen swept her hand across the face of the mirror. A boomerang of ice escaped it and crashed into the wallwork, causing a dozen of the huge stones to collapse. With a laugh, Taihen caught her weapon of ice as it returned to her. Her ears twitched at the sound of alarms sounding.

Inside the castle, Aijo was rousing sleepily. With a lanquid yawn, he revealed his teeth and popped one eye open. He observed the lazy sunshine that streamed over him and his family. After extricating himself gently so as not to rouse them, he tugged on his upper kimono. With a slight shuffle, he bent to the floor to retrieve the short sword he had left by his bedside. At the same time as this motion, the outer defenses of the castle collapsed with an angry crash.

"Shit, what was that?!" His eyes widening, Aijo tied his sword on quickly. With one last look at his sleeping ones, never mind that Kuroi was rising, he darted out into the hallway and towards his own quarters. With a nimble slide, he came to a halt before his lacquered sword stand where he kept the fang sword gifted to him by his father. Anxiously, Aijo slipped this one into his obi as well. Kuroi appeared by the doorframe, and though sleep half-clung to her eyes she was riddled by a grave expression.

"Aijo, what is happening?" The tone was delivered with a great deal of expectancy. Aijo was aware she knew the answer.

"It seems we're under attack. Kuroi, you go back to Iyazoi. Both of you should hide in the secret passage."

"As you wish, my lord husband." Without a stroke of fear, Kuroi marched away. Aijo watched her go, admiring. Then he shook his head and allowed himself to be found by one of his servants.

"Castle Lord, General requests that you come to the donjon (castle keep) observation window. Lord Itigaki is already engaged in battle and there is something he wishes for you to see." Aijo nodded.

"First, send for and Hideyuki and Tsutomu. Ask them to protect the entrance to the donjon. Do so at any cost."

"Aye, my lord." Aijo nodded.

In the time he had been castle lord, Aijo had promoted these two samurai to be his personal assistants. They were, above other samurai, to be trusted. Aijo could smell no deceit in them and Kuroi's network of spies, which she maintained even now, told him that they were guileless. Most of all, during battle time and time again they had shown their devotion. Aijo knew they would defend Kuroi's hiding spot to the death.

But the prickling aura in the wind terrified him. This was no attack by mere mortals. No, instead the air was flooded with an ominous youkai. This time, Aijo knew his attackers would not be so easily repulsed. Leaving his gaping servant behind, Aijo broke out into a run and swung out a third story window. Nimbly, he pulled his body upward so that he recollected himself atop his third story roof. He proceeded to race along the ridge. A few loose shingles clattered away on contact, bringing a few stunned expressions his way.

With a single, effortless bound, Aijo landed on the highest peak of the rooftop leading to an observation platform. Itigaki was already there, looking serious. At Aijo's arrival he moved to speak to his lord but Aijo chose to ignore him in favor of the enemy he felt and now saw hovering on the edge of the horizon. His yaw dropped open.

"Taihen?" The quarter demon well remembered the infant Inuyasha had brought home on a snowy day, bundled in the firerat kimono. He recalled that for several years, he had had a sister.

"My Lord?" Itigaki regarded the quarter demon speculatively. Aijo growled.

"Leave her to me," he answered.

Outside on the castle wall, Taihen continued her assault. The first of the defending walls fell in complete and utter ruin, the stones being pulverized into modest gravel. Dissatisfied with her lofty perch, Taihen hopped off of Nanishii's back. The half-demon landed neatly while her spectral companion shrank.. The black-and-white haired hanyou then turned to the castle's guardians. Nanishii peered from her shoulder, blue eyes glittering. Her own eyes of amber danced with an unholy bloodlust and she waited, impatiently, for the rows of samurai armed with pikes to charge at her. She darted above their heads and kicked one in the jaw, snapping his neck. The military line now broken, the half-demon turned midair and extended her claws into her hapless victims. Aijo felt sickened as he watched the carnage his half-sister was creating.

Taihen halted only when the men around her were all dead but one. Quivering, this one tried to crawl away but the monster that was his sister only raised him to his knees with one clawed hand around his throat. Plunging her hand into his chest, she pulled out his beating heart to throw it on the ground. Then, licking her hand idly, she smiled. Aijo noticed with a dull thumb that her eyes glowed a sinister red. Without thinking, Aijo raised Itigaki aloft by the front of his armor so that his angry face was pressed dangerously near his.

"Sound the retreat," Aijo hissed. "Get those people out of there. They don't stand a chance against her."

"But, my lord," sputtered Itigaki. "We are sworn to protect you and your family even at the cost of our lives."

"I don't care," Aijo hissed throwing Itigaki so that he fell as a heavy bundle in the corner. Next, taking one large bound Aijo threw himself off the corner of the observation tower. His sandals disappeared somewhere on the long way down and several stories below, Aijo landed amongst a pile of bodies. He could feel the blood cooling as it pooled beneath his feet.

"Sister," Aijo hissed out in a wrathful manner. "Why are you attacking my vassals?" A nonchalant response awaited him. Taihen flicked the blood from her claws.

"Oh? Are these yours? Sorry, I just came here to tell you something. Father's dead."

"What?!" Aijo gazed confusedly on the arrogant and strangely young hanyou before him. "What do you mean he's dead?" The child smirked.

"Stupid. Don't you know what dead means? It means he's not breathing any more." Aijo felt the back of his neck prickling. Most of all, he began to feel the stirrings of fear.

"Explain," he commanded. The girl only shrugged.

"I killed him," she said flatly, as if bored with the subject. "I killed that hanyou bitch of his too, that Kagome. Is that information enough for you, Aijo?"

Of Aijo's entire life, that had to be the singular worst moment. A hundred thousand different emotions flowed within him, all of them heart-wrenching. What did it matter now that he get the courage to tell Inuyasha about Iyazoi? His father was dead, and now he would never know he had a grandchild. He himself, would never see his father again, never be embraced by his father again, never be praised by his father again. So too, his mother; and he had robbed both of them of his company in these last few years of their existence. A sense of terrible wrong overflowed the Aijo, and with it came tears, and tender memories of they by whom he had been loved.

"Mother," Aijo choked out, a teardrop rolling over his nose to splash into the sea of crimson around him. Yet the carnage was unnoticeable next to the emotion now replayed, greatly to his despair, of how warm and beloved he had felt sandwiched between his two parents at night, as they all snuggled beneath a down comforter brought back from the future, and he as a child had gazed upwards into a tangle of pine branches and the freedom of stars at some campfire never forgotten. Aijo's fist tightened on his sword. Yet he never once forgot that this was his sister.

"Why would you do such a thing!? And why do you come here now!? Did you not know that you were precious to them!?" Taihen flinched at his angry shout, but she maintained her demeanor.

"I come because my revenge is not complete yet. I have come to slay you and your family." As Aijo's eyes widened, Taihen knew with certainty it was a dangerous game she was playing.

Auras flared. Aijo's hidden demonic power, ever-simmering beneath the surface broke free to boil in an seething ominence. To Taihen, it almost felt as fangs and claws were extending outwards into the air above her in one gargantuan form. The sensation might have frightened her- if she had been so much stronger.

Yes, she was a hanyou. A mere hanyou superior to full-blooded demons. Despite all prejudices, Taihen knew that in her the awesome strength of her mortal mother and that of her demonic father were multiplied. For this reason, weakness was a mere ruse.

In her first battle against Inuyasha, Taihen had fared badly. She had tried to use two heavy swords in combat against someone far stronger, older, and more experienced than she was. Yet, the second time, she had faked being unable to match him with her naginata.

The trade of two swords for a two-bladed staff had been a tactical move. As a female and a child, Taihen's body was naturally light, making it difficult to hold ground by positioning body weight. In the case of the naginata, however, distance became her ally. It did not matter if her opponent was a thousand times her size or even stronger than she was. All that mattered was that she keep the enemy at bay so that she could slice at it from the shielded center of the naginata's arc. It was a weapon so graceful that Taihen could easily complete three moves with it within a fraction of a second. This increase in speed made her deadly.

But speed and grace was not Taihen's only ability. After her embarrassing defeat at Inuyasha's hand. Taihen had begun training based on strength. The young black-and-white eared hanyou had deliberately combined the infamous demon-slaying weapon of her notorious human mother and the demonic magic of her adoptive mother, Senestice. In the end, she had perfected a spell to grant her an unshatterable boomerang of youkai, clouded in the appearance of ice. It was the same weapon which had she had used in the downfall of Inuyasha.

After countless hours of training, Taihen had indeed become strong. Evidence of this fact was Aijo's outer fortress wall which now lay scattered as not more than loose gravel, hardly defending anything. Aijo was now facing an intimidating strength and on his part, he knew it. Aijo stepped backwards and unsheathed his sword of the fang. He poised defensively.

"So you want to kill me off, eh? Well someone's gonna die today and it ain't gonna be me." Two half-siblings stared down at each other, each gaze holding a secret pain. But even purpose was forgotten as weapons were raised and met with their first swordclash.

Author Notes: Chill! Nobody is going to die from this chapter either! Later.


	98. Chapter 98

Author Notes: Wow, those chapter headings and scene introductions which I find soooo annoying are popular. I guess I'll keep using them. (Even if they are a pet peeve of mine).

Taihen's attacks are as follows: 1) Ice field from sword or mirror 2) Ice boomerang 3) Ice barrier 4) Ice scar blast 5) Ice shurikens

Taihen's weapons: 1) Ice boomerang 2) Naginata 3) Hidden dagger 4) Ice shurikens 5) Nanishii, her spectral bird 6) Senestice's mirror 7) Claws

**Chapter 98: Clash**

Taihen slid back on her heels, panting with exhilaration. The battle was proving more difficult than she had ever thought it could be. True, Aijo was three-quarters human, the son of some miko unknown to Taihen, but he had nearly every bit of strength that their father had. Aijo used his brute strength to beat Taihen's naginata back and then, sweeping his sword wide amongst the clearance, he sent a powerful blast of red aura tearing through the landscape. Raising herself up on one hand and nimbly flipping away, Taihen barely managed to escape the red arcs which threatened to destroy her.

"Hm," she sniffed smugly. "So that is the legacy sword our father left to you." Aijo clenched his teeth together.

"Yeah, it is," he snarled. Lifting the blade up higher for another strike, he sent it sheering through the air towards her. Taihen dodged and a half minute later, an acre full of trees disappeared in the distance.

"Temper, temper. You'll never defeat me that way old one"

"That's elder brother to you!"

Aijo's jaw clenched visibly. His heart screamed for him to stop yet he did not pause. For he knew, if he showed even the least bit of hesitation fighting Taihen he would lose. He could not afford to; there was so much at stake now. Even if Taihen was his half-sister, even if she was working for Naraku because of trickery, Aijo resolved to take Taihen's life if need be. Nothing in all of heaven and earth could cause him to allow harm to come to Iyazoi.

Praying for a rapid victory, Aijo used the tip of his empowered blade to parry Taihen's naginata. His eyes widened as she removed one hand from the hilt and withdrew a dagger from top of her kimono. It was taking every once of his strength and two hands to keep the mini demon at bay, so faced with no other options Aijo ducked the thrown dagger as it narrowly missed his head. The shift left him open for a fraction of a second but fortunately Aijo was well aware of the hazard. He dodged again as Taihen's claws came close, nearly making a swath along the ribs of his chest.

Whirling around, Aijo faced his enemy and lifted his sword before his body to guard it. The security gained brought some of the panic from his near miss to recede. But Aijo could feel the demonic aura around him. Even if he ingeniously mastered a backlash wave with the sword Inuyasha had given him, there was no way he could exceed the level of her own youkai. This was a battle of mind and strength alone. Unfortunately, his long-lost sister seemed to be skillful at these as well.

"Shit," Aijo muttered as Taihen exchanged her naginata for a boomerang made from youkai magic. He had spent enough hours training under Sango to know how much damage a similar weapon could do. He did not want to be broadsided by it.

Tucking his sword into his obi, Aijo leaped upwards and narrowly evaded the boomerang made of ice. It whirled around and he used a hand to glance off it. The motion propelled him off balance and he landed with a crash upon a blood stained battlefield. Dizzy, Aijo looked up to see his half-sister approaching. A lofty yet cautious expression was on her features.

"Is that all you have?" Aijo vehemently spat into the dust and raised himself easily.

"I haven't even gotten started yet," he boasted. Taihen smiled and took a sneaky glance at the saimyoushou behind her. Both part-demons could hear their loud droning in the background.

Aijo looked tensely at the boomerang before him. Because Taihen did not move, he drew his sword, this time planning to hit it off course as it came near to him. But this action became unnecessary because the weapon did not leave Taihen's hand. Instead, she held it aloft as if in a carefree manner.

"I would be careful if I were you brother." Her eyes glittered mysteriously. "I did say that I was after your whole family." Aijo's eyes widened in fear. True he was here keeping Taihen here at bay, but what of her spectral companion?

Aijo swore and sent a blast of arcs skyward. Taihen only dodged them and with a lithe twist, swept past him to bound up the castle walls. Aijo made to follow but at that moment, the scream of a spectral bird tore into his ears as it dove into the castle. Taihen leapt onto its back as it ascended again to gaze down on a pile of shattered timbers. Her nose twitched furiously.

"Nanishii! They must have taken a secret passage! Follow them!" Removing herself from the bird's back she stepped onto one of the defending walls as the bird flew away. She physically barricaded Aijo from pursuing Nanishii.

"We're not done with our battle yet," said Taihen lifting her naginata.

"Why are you doing this?" Aijo screamed angrily, his throat growing hoarse. A living ice crept up the walls he was running along and he just narrowly evaded it. Sweeping his sword down and outwards, he shattered some of the ice causing it blow apart in a shattering of crystals.

"Because, brother," said Taihen crossing her blade against his. With a snap to her fingers she left the naginata encased solidly in ice, unattended. With a step backwards that made her almost seem to float, she reached down into the front of her kimono where Senestice's mirror might be found. She spun it and allowed a barrier globe to form, surrounding all of them and silencing all words from outside.

"I have a secret that might interest you."

"Huh?" Aijo was dumbfounded.

_In the Donjon (Castle Keep)_

Kuroi held two precious objects close to her breast as she ran toward the secret passage. The first was the short sword she had been given at birth. A memento and tool of defense, it had saved her many times past. The second, of course was a more recent addition to her life. It was Iyazoi, for whom she would wield the wakizashi if necessary.

Kuroi, now elevated to what in recent years past would have been hime, had been born into a samurai family. From early childhood onwards she had been trained in the art of defense but most of all, the art of self-sacrifice in order to protect her husband and children. That, according to her family's creed, was the ultimate worth of a woman. They were originators and sacred guardians of the line.

Already, Kuroi felt that she had failed Aijo. Instead of son, an heir to whom holdings could be passed, she had borne him a mere daughter; and yet this child had become beloved to both of them. Iyazoi was every bit a part of Kuroi's beating heart as she was to her husband. No, Kuroi nearly wept with understanding of how her own mother must have felt enduring seige after siege- Iyazoi was too precious to be lost. There was nothing she would not do to guard her and fulfill her obligations as wife and mother.

Dropping a quick kiss to Iyazoi's worried brow, she entered an anteroom of the donjon. Here, behind the back panel of a storage closet a secret stairway led up into the rafters to create a miniature hiding space. This was useful in times of peace, when one wished merely to spy on inhabitants of the room but now was far from peaceful. It for this reason that Kuroi passed by the stairway to seek another trapdoor cleverly hidden in crossbraces of the floor. With a panic, Kuroi came to the realization that she would have difficulty opening the door unaided since she carried two infinitely precious objects in her hands both of which she could not bear to let go.

Kuroi heard her heart pound sickeningly and then in relief as two figures approached her within the donjon. The first of these was Hideyuki, the samurai with a remarkably happy face. The second was the bulkier and more serious Tsutomu. Both had come in accordance to Aijo's wishes.

"You ladyship," Hideyuki began with a curt nod. "We're here to help you get out of here."

"My husband sent you?" The glow of love sparkled in her eyes for but a moment as she looked to the two young samurai.

"Yup." Without a second glance back, Hideyuki tore up floorboards to reveal a small square opening up into an unabsolved darkness. "Don't have a candle though. Aren't one of your servants bringing one?" Kuroi shook her head regretfully. Under normal circumstances, she would have had one of her servants or even one of her ninjas bring a lighted lamp. Unfortunately for her, the attack had been so rapid and without warning that she had not been able to make contact with them as they lived outside the castle.

"There is a storehouse in the donjon," Kuroi expressed plainly. Hideyuki nodded and whirled on his heel to stalk off. It left Kuroi alone in Tsutomu's presence for several minutes. An emptiness of thought clouded both of them.

At last the silence was broken with Hideyuki's returning footstep. The young samurai was the source of all sound as he lit the lantern and, tying it to a strong rope, lowered it into the darkness. A rope ladder came into sight from the action.

"We have to climb down," Hideyuki gestured. "Do you have a cradle?" Kuroi shook her head ruefully. She had never needed to transport Iyazoi from place to place like a common villager. It was they whom sometimes carried their children bound to their backs as they planted the rice fields.

Hideyuki did not verbalize his answer. Instead, he shed his hakama and wound it skillfully around Iyazoi to form a swing. The child sneezed and growled at him, much to his startlement.

"I'm sorry to be so forward, m'am, but I do this in your husband's place. I'm sure he wants you outta here. Shall we go?" The young samurai climbed down first and held the rope ladder steady in an attempt to be considerate. Kuroi deemed it best to comply. Ever so slowly, she crept down the rungs of the rope ladder. As she went, Tsutomu lowered the lantern attached to a rope from above.

At last, a blast of cool, winding air met her face and lifted the soft tendrils which lined it. The weight on the ladder below her disappeared and Kuroi swayed a bit as the ladder slacked and wobbled. She clenched her fingers on the rope desperately so much so that she that the rough threads caused her hands to sting. Yet she determined not to let go.

Gingerly, Kuroi lowered a single foot to tap experimentally on the space below her. Hideyuki's words and the view of the descending lamplight encouraged her. Now able to feel and see the firmness of stone beneath her, Kuroi let go of the rope ladder and checked on her infant. Iyazoi was staring blearily at her and not in the least bit frightened.

Kuroi nearly snorted back a laugh and choked on it instead in her nervousness. Here she was so worried about protecting her supposedly fragile infant that she forgot the circumstances of her existence. Surely, she and her daughter Iyazoi had nothing to worry about. Aijo was protecting them and his strength far exceeded that of any normal human. More than that, Kuroi herself had once been a seasoned warlord, not long ago in fact. As for Iyazoi, although she resembled a human she was far more robust than any normal child. Though lacking the promise of Aijo's full strength, she had hopped in and out of the nursing room window on more than one occasion.

Still, Kuroi drew back a little as a soft scuffling of paw prints resounded in the cavern they had entered. Tsutomu appeared by her left side and lifted the lantern, allowing Kuroi to catch a glimpse of the vast carved tunnel which served as the castle's secret exit. Flecks of quartz winked back at them.

"Katana!" Kuroi shouted suddenly, causing the men beside her to fumble for their chosen blades. But the former princess only bent down to swoop up a small cat with an oddly poofy tail. They both breathed out sighs of relief and looked at each other in disbelief.

"Only a pet. But how did that cat get in here?" Hideyuki shrugged at Tsutomu's question. Meanwhile, Katana hissed in Kuroi's ear.

"I came back to the castle as quickly as I could when I felt the storm brewing. There's a youkai out there, Kuroi." Kuroi felt her heart strum.

"How strong is it?"

"Really strong. We shouldn't leave the cavern yet, princess. It's dangerous."

"What about Aijo?"

"He'll be all right," Katana finished whispering. A loud purr erupted from his throat and he rubbed his fur along Kuroi's cheek. She found her friend's action consoling.

"All right," said Kuroi speaking to all. "We should sit down." Gracefully, she set herself down on the stone floor of the cavern and began the long process of waiting for Aijo's victory.

Katana observed his mistress carefully. His large crimson eyes traced over her features, seeing how much she had changed in his absence. Although he maintained residence in the castle, after Kuroi's marriage he had begun to spend most of his time away. His haunts were varied, such as an overrun village, an abandoned temple, and the swath of forest just outside the castle boundaries. At times he lived solely in the castle but he had reclaimed the quarters of Kuroi's father, his former master, as his own. For this reason, Kuroi seldom saw him anymore.

It was too bad they had grown apart really. After the death of Kuroi's parents, Katana had taken it upon himself to raise the young princess. She was more a daughter to him than any of the other female members of her line. In fact, she was the only female of the line whom was aware of his youkai nature. Such a relationship had come about in an unusual way.

It all started several hundred years ago when Katana had lost his own parents. He had never known his father and he was barely more than a week old when his mother was assigned a bounty by the local castle lord. To the demonslayers which slew her, the act was in retribution for her raids on a village storehouse. But for Katana and his two sisters, the act was a cruel death sentence for all of them.

Fortunately for Katana, his dying mother had returned to her kittens before she perished. Her human tormentors had followed the weaving trail of her ebbing lifeblood back to her den and there, they had discovered the reason for her marauding. The two-tail neko had been acting out of desperation for the sake of her children.

The truth had struck hard on the leader of the demonslayers. He himself had recently lost two of his children due to illness. Only his son remained to him. Touched by the way the neko youkai had risked and lost all for the sake of her children, the leader of the demon slayers had wrapped the three small kittens in the front of his kimono. Instead of slaying them as most would, he determined to find new homes for all of them.

Katana had been the first of the litter to be given away. He was by far, the largest and strongest, as well as the most vocal. He was taken to the castle lord, the very same one whom had signed the warrant for his mother.

And yet, Katana held no grudge toward the castle's ruler. Even though his first master admitted his wrongs against his family as he lay on his deathbed, Katana felt no ill towards the man. For over thirty years he had been raised by the old lord and there existed between them a sort of paternal to child affection. In a sense, Katana had always been the old lord's second son.

After the death of his first master, Katana had been passed down in secret to the succeeding lord. At the request of his blooded father, the new ruler had become the neko youkai's guardian. Thus a tradition was born.

After nearly two hundred years of being passed from one daimyo to another as a household pet, guard, or confident, Katana was finally given to Kuroi's direct line. He spent another hundred or so serving her grandfather, great-grand-father, and father. Before he could be passed on to Kuroi's brother, however, the princess had learned his secret.

Very few of his owners had actually known that Katana could talk. Quite frankly it made most of them nervous and they preferred to think of him as a being mindless. But Kuroi had happened to come into the room unannounced one day as Katana had been speaking with her father. The girl, hardly more than an infant, had been sworn into secrecy.

One day soon after, Katana had been cat-napping when a small bob of hair with a hair-pin sticking out of it had popped up on the wall beside him. Katana opened one scarlet eye wide to see none other that the castle princess sneaking a handful of fishcakes toward him. Katana sniffed.

"What do ya want kid?" he asked her.

"Kuroi wants to be friends!" A slightly baby-toothless grin had flashed up at him and Katana found himself staring. He shrugged.

"Sure kid, it's a deal. Dipping his head down, he gulped down the pile of fishcakes.

Katana put up with the young child with a growing complacency. Yet it was not until Kuroi's family around her began to disappear one by one that the girl began to depend on him. Before he knew it, Katana was teaching her how to be strong, how to fight, and most of all how to be loved by a father. To Katana, Kuroi was the daughter he never had. She was not merely another benefactor as her grandparents had been, no the little human princess was something far greater- she was family. But then Aijo had come along and the two-tail neko quickly came to realize that his place by Kuroi's side was ending. It was time for his little girl to grow up and over these last few years, she certainly had.

Katana accepted with gratitude that Kuroi now had a true family. She had married remarkably well in Katana's eyes, even if the groom had been part inuyoukai, and now she had an adorable daughter to cherish. Katana couldn't be happier for her. He also couldn't be prouder. And most of all, now that she and her little one needed defending he would be there for her, no matter how strong or dangerous the youkai.

In an almost lazy manner, Katana sprawled out on Kuroi's knee. She stroked the back of his ear fondly and he relished the missed attention. And yet, his ears remained perked toward the darkness alert for any intruder. An expected shriek filled the air and he rose. The rumbling cry of an angry spectral being resounding in the caverns, Katana took a small bound off of Kuroi's lap. He transformed into the greatest size he was capable of achieving and then, baring his fangs with a fiercesome roar, barreled himself down the passage. Bird and neko-youkai, fire and ice met head on with mighty clash.

Lost still in the darkness, Kuroi cried out at the snarls of her long-time guardian's pain. And yet, despite all dread and horror that she felt, her mind remained and pure and practical. She slunk further back into the shadows and forced Iyazoi into a corner. With a small hush, she watched as the strangely intelligent child sniffed at the scent of blood clouding the air. The part-youkai then lowered her head and dutifully shrank as if to hide in the dirt.

A sense of awe at her child and an endless, yet rapidly expressed gratitude overcame Kuroi. But then all emotion flooded away save one. It was the same emotion which tangibly, seemed to be embodied in her wakizashi. A cruel grimace crossed her features and no more was she Kuroi, wife to the castle ruler. Instead she was castle lord all over again. The corners of her eyes flickered on the drawn faces of her only warriors, gauging.

It was a true part of herself, just as true as she was a mother. Tucked away inside of her for such a time as this, there was falcon poised to dive or a tiger prepared to stalk. Just as the capacity for love and comfort resided in her, so too the capacity for evil; and now for the evil around around them she did not care which was exhibited. To her good fortune Hideyuki and Tsutomu noticed nothing. They were too riveted on the battling creatures before them to note the similarities between Lady Kuroi and her deceased "brother".

In the entrance to the secret tunnel, Katana whirled and sank one claw into Nanishii. The spectral bird drew away and screeched angrily, leaving the neko-youkai to pant heavily, long gauges down his side. Then, with a speed and prowess to be proud of, Katana leapt again to fumble for Nanishii's neck. The ice-coated bird viciously fought him off with tooth and talon.

A neko-youkai's hunting style relies on stealth, not brute strength. So it was that although Katana valiantly tired to subdue Nanishii, the ice bird freed itself from his grasp. When enough distance had been reached, it let loose a blast of diving ice. The attack brought Katana stumbling to his knees.

"No," Katana growled, crimson eyes flashing as the frost-blue bird flew past him further into the cavern. He took a few steps forward only to collapse, passing out in a pool of blood. Nanishii's warcry seemed to scream like laughter in his ears as his conciousness faded.

Deep within the furthest reaches of the tunnel, Kuroi bit her lip agitatedly. She held her short blade, her wakizashi aloft before her heart, prepared to make a last stand. When the spectral bird flew before her, she was ready.

So too were Hideyuki and Tsutomu. With a quick nod to one another, they charged as brothers in arms. The sickening expectancy which clung to them was satisfied as the terrifying beast before them swept both off their feet with one quick swing of its bill. The bird stalled and beat its wings a few flaps to hover before Kuroi.

In this moment Kuroi was certain she was going to die. And yet, none of that mattered. All that concerned her now was Iyazoi. At all cost, Iyazoi must live. Disdain for this creature, and disdain for death filled Kuroi. Her heart beat wildly, happily as the battle was played. She would not die a fragile woman after all. She would have her glorious death as a member of samurai family.

Tucking her sword-calloused hands into her kimono, Kuroi withdrew a spell scroll she had kept on her ever since her near death at the hands of an oni. She tossed at the spectral being before her and Nanishii broke out into a fresh wave of anger as the spiritual energy twined about, burning him. At his vulnerability, Kuroi struck.

Nanishii watched as Kuroi drew the wakizashi closer to her, drawing into the curl of her hand so that that all her weight and strength were behind it. The woman stepped forward, intending to ram it in him with all her might. This, the demon could not permit.

With an angry clack to his beak, Nanishii jerked himself upright and Kuroi's sword missed. Then, reaching out his talons he entwined them around her as one would a small fish. Only, this time he did not squeeze the life from his victim for a sword abruptly cleaved him. Kuroi dropped to the ground and looked up into a mane of glowing silver.

"Who, who are you?" She fumbled for both words and the edge of her outer robe as it slipped down around her shoulder. The inu-youkai gave her a sideways glare.

"Sesshomaru," he said simply standing between her and the felled bird. It crackled away from them as a stream of ice and disappeared from the cavern.

Outside the Castle

"I have something to tell you," Taihen continued, "and my time is short. The hanyou known as Inuyasha has been sealed to tree, just as he had been fifty years ago. The only one able to break this enchantment on him is the reincarnation of his mate, Kagome in the future. The message the Dog Goddess gave me was thus- "pass through the well as seek their revival. The great sword will tell the true identity of the soul".

"What is that supposed to mean?" Aijo flustered.

"I do not know," Taihen said demurely. "But it is time for me to go. Nanishii!"

Dropping the ice barrier around them, Taihen caught a streak of blue silver and laid it on her shoulder. Then, with a graceful leap away, she ran through the rubble she had left in her wake and disappeared into the great fields surrounding the castle. Aijo put his own sword away with audible click and allowed a great scowl to spread from ear to ear.

"Well, that was fun visit. I'll have to remember to invite her back soon." With a scoff, he kicked a piece of felled tile with his foot.

More Author Notes: Nope, nobody died just now. The next chapter will be set in the future and we'll find out what the Dog Goddess's cryptic message means.


	99. Chapter 99

Necessary disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and the names contained within this chapter do no pertain to any real individual or non-original fictional character. Any similarities to persons real, past, or from other literature are purely unintentional. And for those interested, Aki means autumn, Hara means field. This chapter references to chapter thirty, I think.

**Chapter 99: Only Ordinary**

**Dog Goddess-"Pass through the well as seek their revival. The great sword will tell the true identity of the soul".**

* * *

Aki Hara was only an ordinary school boy. So when his life was turned upside down by an astonishing set of circumstances, he did what an ordinary school boy would do. Enjoy it.

At the astonishingly exciting old age of fifteen Aki celebrated his birthday much like any ordinary day. He got up late, and after being yelled at by his mother for the umpteenth time he found an old shirt from the laundry pile and put it on. Then, after lopsidedly looping on that obnoxious tie that the school dress code required, he rushed out the door forgetting his lunchbox. Breakfast, he would just get on the way.

Aki raced down the edge of the sidewalk, not slowing even for the bicyclists which swerved out of his way. If he did not hurry, he would miss the bus, be late, and get detention, again. Aki scowled, but then a mischievous grin spread across his face instead as he caught sight of Itoe, one of his classmates as she stood outside the bakery. She held a small roll in her hand and as Aki rushed past her, he snatched it.

"Thanks Itoe!" he hollered before cramming it in his mouth. Itoe shook her fists and him and raged furiously. Inwardly, Aki was proud of himself. He had kept up the weekly tradition.

Skidding to a stop, Aki caught his breath as a blue and white daily bus pulled up the corner. He dug around in the front flap of his schoolbag and pulled out enough money for today's fare. Then, staggering to the back as the bus lurched into motion, he found his way into his usual seat. He sighed and propped his feet up on a vacant chair.

"Excuse me," an irate girl's voice said. Aki propped one eye open to regard another schoolmate of his, this one clenching the sides of her skirt tightly as she scooted uncomfortably away from his feet as they lay propped on the seat next to her.

"Could you please not do that Aki? You don't have to be such a hentai." Aki snorted.

"As if I would be interested in you," he scoffed. Never-the-less he lowered his feet before leaning back to rest on his head on his interlaced hands. As he did so, he kept his eyes shut tightly. He found not looking at the wench an improvement.

But then the bus rolled to a stop again and he looked toward the opening door expectantly. His current girlfriend, Mieko Yoshikuni stepped inside.

Mieko was a great beauty as far as school girls go. There is an unwritten rule in junior high that only the most beautiful are worthy of boyfriends. For that matter, there was an unstated rule that only the most handsome, popular boys could have them which was why Meiko and himself were together. Their friends had forced it upon them.

But it was not a love-love between them and Aki knew it as such. It was an honorary title really, such as queen and prince. The thought of it troubled him sometimes but at others, he regarded the situation with nonchalance. He was, admittedly, a prick who cared only about his own image.

Aki Hara had arrived in this section of Tokyo three years ago. Before that, he had attended a small private boy's school hidden in the countryside. He was known for being intelligent enough to get good grades easily, yet not too smart. He also had somewhat of reputation as a bad boy, keeping just enough on the right side of the teachers to not get expelled permanently. It was for these conflicting reasons, in addition to his handsome face and vast allowance, that he was so popular with the student body.

Still, Aki was only moderately content with his life. When he eventually left for home after hanging out with schoolfriends, or even when he was sitting amongst others of the cool crowd, Aki frequently experienced a sea of emptiness. It was as if he lacked true purpose and moreover- true companionship. Inside of his mind if not in space, Aki always found himself alone. It was as if something… just one large chunk of himself was missing and it wasn't until his class was sent on one of those boring fieldtrips to take pictures of local shrines that he found out what was it was.

Still slouched in the back of the local bus, Aki gestured for Mieko Yoshikuni to sit next to him. Lowering herself to the seat Aki had patted, she made a great show it, flipping her hair and making eyes at him. Aki grinned as all his less fortunate classmates burned in envy watching him.

"I tried calling you last night, Aki," Mieko purred with undertones of arrogance rather than sexuality. "But you never answered me. I wonder what you were doing last night?"

"Oh, that?" Aki suddenly flushed, a rare thing for him to do. "I was working on a new song I wrote." Mieko blinked.

"I didn't know you were a musician. I thought that was for boys who couldn't get a girlfriend without offering you know... other things. But you're a nice boy, Aki!"

"Yeah, I know," he huffed.

"You know," said Mieko twirling one of her accessorized mini-purse strings with her finger, "your old classmate from that boy's school of yours, Okitoki Hojo, has taken up being a musician. He played a concert in the next school over not long ago."

"Really?" Aki shut down on the conversation by feigning disinterest. Then he pointed a finger out the window to distract her.

"Look, they're going to have a new sale on shoes!" Predictably, the ever well-dressed Mieko glanced out the window. Then she turned back towards him with a cute pout and hit him lightly on the arm. "You are such a joker, Aki!" she admonished.

Still, when the bus ride was over and they stepped off at their school, Aki was grateful when Mieko walked away amongst a crowd of her girlfriends, all of them giggling over him. Aki watched her short skirt sway jauntily before disappearing. Then he turned to his own friend, Rishou Shouiriki. Rishou handed him a bottle of Gatorade from the sports bag draped over his shoulder. He was captain of the school soccor team.

"Miss breakfast again, Aki?" he queried, one eyebrow raised speculatively as Aki took a swig.

"Yeah. Ah, damn! I forgot my lunch too!"

"No problem. We can skip out to the local vendors. Better get inside Aki. Miss Ishimaru will have your hide if you're late for the schooltrip."

"Shit, you're right. See ya man."

With that, Aki hustled through the traffic filled hallway. All others clung to the wall out of his way. He was reigning prince to them after all. There was plenty of time remaining for him to shove his things in his locker, take out a few books, choose a purple pen despite its violation of the black or blue ink only rule, and shuffle into the classroom looking bored. A chorus of giggles met him as he entered. Obviously someone had been talking about him… again. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw it was an irate Inoe who pointed a finger warningly at him. Aki ignored her. He slumped into his own seat next to Rishou.

"So where are we going, Rishou?" As usual, the captain of the soccor team had exchanged his practice bag for leather briefcase with immaculate schoolnotes.

"The newest shrine in all of Tokyo, of course. It was built by the Takahashi family."

"Takahashi? You mean the family that owns all those major corporations and practically half of Japan?" Aki leaned on his knuckle.

"Same one. They say they built to honor a god of protection."

"Whatever."

Aki turned back in his seat as the bell rang. It wouldn't do to anger Miss Ishimaru too early in the day.

A pop math quiz was pulled, to Aki's consternation, and then all of them were filing out to several large bright colored buses. Aki hung in and out the doorway.

"Aie, I'm a kid again!" he called.

"Mr. Hara! Stop following around and get in that bus this instant!"

"Yes, m'am," Aki sniveled pretentiously.

The shrine was a large one and the costly building materials spoke to the affluence of the family which had built it. Aki whistled, then quickly got bored of it as a local caretaker and his teacher droned on about local shrines and their history. Aki had never been to any shrine before except for Kutarugi, where the shrinekeeper's son had taken up an instant friendship with him.

His stomach still rumbling, Aki slunk off in search of a soda machine. He rounded a corner and to the prodding of his ill temper, found one but discovered he had no loose change.

"Ah man!" With an infuriated huff, Aki leaned against a solid wall only to fall through. A few minutes later, Aki found himself being prodded cruelly in the head.

"Hey, hey you, kid!" Aki looked up into eyes of a startling emerald.

Sitting up quickly, he shielded the over-bright sunshine with one hand. Then, squinting he studied the adult which kneeled near him. To his approval, she did not look like a stiff, unattractive person like MissIshimaru. Far from it, her long golden hair was interwoven with strips of cloth in a fanciful way. His jaw nearly dropped at the cosplay ears.

"Are you okay?" said the woman. She was wearing a security guard uniform, strange for someone whom had woken him up by casually jabbing him with her finger.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Aki stood up quickly causing himself to swoon slightly. The woman took no notice of it.

"Is this your first time here?"

"Er, yeah, you could say that. Where's here anyway?"

"Oh come on. You couldn't have bonked your head too bad. Maybe if you were a weak ninjen. But then you wouldn't have been able to get through the barrier, would you?"

"Ninjen?" Aki's head still swooned.

"My apologies. But enjoy the Shrine to the Late Ruler, kid. Rest up a bit first, okay?"

"Excuse, me, what kind of ruler?" Aki nearly kicked himself for saying the word excuse me. It just wasn't meant to be part of a bad boy's vocabulary.

The woman turned to him quickly. She frowned slightly, deciding that this boy was mentally retarded or very out of touch with reality.

"Geeze kid. I will explain it for you. This is the tomb of Late Honorable Ruler and his wife, Lord Inuyasha and Kagome." She pointed to the white sun-washed tombs behind them.

"Never heard of 'em," Aki scoffed. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Kid, are you sure you're a demon?" Aki only blinked.

"Um, so what's your name lady?" Aki eyed her strange appearance again and she responded by dragging a hand exasperatedly through her messy hair.

"Murasaki, kid. And don't get any ideas. I'm far too old for you. Enjoy the shrine." With that, she stalked away.

Aki looked around him, puzzled. There was a lot of grass; a few patches of aspen trees. Most of all there was a broad walkway of white leading up to two identical crypts. Something about the area called to him.

Aki paced around looking for the rest of his class. None of his classmates were in sight save for Itoe. She was sipping a juice drink from a little box with a straw. She nearly spit up at the sight of him.

"Aki? You're a half-demon?" she squealed. "Take off your concealing spell. Let me see!"

"You're crazy!" Aki admonished. Waving her off, he stalked away hands in his pockets. He allowed the mysterious enchantment he was feeling to draw him towards the small dedication plaque nestled between the two crypts. He read it carefully.

"Two who found a love immemorial. To these who protected and inspired all, we pledge devotion." Aki rocked back and forth in the heels of his uncomfortable loafers. There was something about this plague- this place- that bothered him. He was almost beside himself trying to figure out what it was when his eyes fell on a small heart-shaped locket clung mysteriously to the air. He squatted down on his heels to look at it.

"That's strange," Aki said staring at it from all angles. "There's nothing supporting it. It can't be magic can it? Naah!" Darting his hand out, his hand clasped round the chain and the locket fell into his palm. His heart pounded at the paranormal event.

"Okay," he said nervously. Taking a quick glance around, Aki saw no one whom could have seen him "break" the display. In an effort to hide the evidence of his unintended vandalism, he made things worse by tucking the locket into his pocket. It must have been his imagination, but he was suddenly overcome with a soothing hum which thrummed from the locket. Out of panic, Aki crept back to the wall he had first woken up at and attempted to lean on it, only to find that his hand would sink through it.

"I must be crazy," he muttered.

Taking a deep breath, he leapt through the wall and rolled to a stop on the other side of the barrier where his teacher was finishing her boring lecture.

"Mr. Hara! If you would please pay attention instead of lying on the ground lounging!" Half the class broke out into laughter. Aki only watched as a long, lean shadow seemed to slip into Itoe. She raised an eyebrow at him.

In her security booth, Murasaki set down the delivery pizza she had just gone to get. She happily flipped open a box, took a out a piece with smoked salmon and olives on it, and was about to bite into it when a random visitor chose that moment to wander his way to the tomb and gasping, pointed at the now jewelryless place below the plaque. "The necklace of the Honorable Ruler is gone!" he exclaimed. Murusaki nearly fell over and with a growl, she speed-dialed her least favorite number.

"Kyo, get me Sesshomaru, now!" she cried.

_On the returning bus_

Aki kept his hand clenched around the heart-shaped locket in his pocket for the rest of the ride back to school. The only thing he could possibly say to himself about what had happened was this- "I'm not crazy, I'm not crazy, I'm not!" With a nod of satisfaction, he did not wait for Rishou to catch up with him as he got off the bus. He practically fled from Meiko as well and in order to avoid her, he by passed the bus in favor of walking home.

The once sunny afternoon turned into a drizzled one and Aki was forced to dawdle beneath store overhangs in small comic stores. At last, he found his way home through the rain puddled streets and, hands still shoved inside his pockets, called out to his mother. He lived alone with her in a modest flat since his father had died years ago. He had no brothers or sisters. Kicking his shoes off in the foyer, he went directly to his room even though he knew there were bound to be snacks waiting for him in the kitchen. There was something far more important weighing on his mind.

A fierce excitement flew through him like delirium as he extracted the heart-shaped locket of the Late Honorable Ruler from his pocket. With trembling hands, he raised it up to his own neck and fixed the clasps together carefully. A roaring music filled his ears immediately as the half of the soul he had been missing awoke. As he watched in the mirror, his hair grew long and washed with silver. His teeth and bones shifted noticeably and most peculiar of all, perhaps was the fact that his ears vanished to be replaced with twitching triangles crowned atop his head. Aki leaned forward into the mirror to survey himself better and his jaw dropped open.

"What the hell happened?" he growled, in a voice so wholly not his own.

- (For those of you who have played the Inuyasha video game this is a joke because the character you role-play comes from Kutarugi Shrine and wishes to meet you again someday. If you play as a girl, you can even have a crush on Inuyasha and confess your love to him).


	100. Chapter 100

Itoe (a kitsune/ fellow student of Aki's)

Mieko (Aki's wanna-be-girlfriend)

Aki (A boy who just found out he's not human anymore, and possibly much more)

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Inuyasha, do you?

Author Notes: Chapter 100 Baby! I never dreamed this story would take this long but it's my labor of love. Thanks for hanging in there.

**Chapter 100**

Aki Hara stared, his nose pressed to the mirror. There it went again. His ear twitched just so. Involuntarily he found himself leaning knuckle down on the floor so that his back leg- curse, it seemed to have a mind of its own- could stealthily snuck upwards to scratch visciously at his silken ear. Itch satisfied, Aki returned to his careful survey of his reflection.

He had fangs. And if he hadn't seen the way Itoe had spit up her juicebox and called him a half-demon this morning, he would have thought he was frickin' delusional.

Aki pursed his lips and pulled them back carefully. A wolfish scowl greeted his sight and snapping his mouth shut to clear the expression, he opened his mouth again, this time to tentatively explore his teeth with his tongue. Several dozen sharp-pinpricks accompanied this action so he switched to something less injury inflicting. Aki opened his jaw wide and let his tongue dangle languorously. He noted joyously that his tongue was lolled to the edge of his chin and with single, rapid lick, tapped the end of his nose.

"Cool!" Aki exclaimed inwardly to himself before the glass fogged up, "better than superpowers!"

Aki's less than austere mental capacities did not press him beyond this relevation, however. He was on the point of unbuckling his belt to see if he had sprouted a tail when the phone rang. He tripped over his fallen pantcuffs in a vie to reach the telephone.

"Hello?" Aki answered, giving the string to the blinds a gentle tug so that no one could see him standing in his boxers- not that he minded anyway. A somewhat unwelcome voice sound met his now rapidly twitching ears and he held the offending cell phone at arms length.

"Hello, Aki? It's Mieko. I was just wondering if you would like to go to the mall with me this afternoon. There's a new foodcourt that's opened." A few excited giggles accentuated the question like a punchline.

"Ah, Mieko? As much I hate to say it, now's not a good time for me." His new voice came rolling out in a low grumble. The giggling on the line suddenly went dead.

"Oh sorry. I thought I was speaking to Aki Hara."

"You are, stupid," he growled.

"No, no, no, I'm sorry." Mieko's voice came hurriedly before she hung up and Aki was left listening to the dial-tone.

"Bah. Not like I wanted to waste my time with her anyway." Aki carefully replaced the phone on his tableside dresser.

But the incident made his pencil-black eyebrows shoot up into his bangs' highest reaches. How was he supposed to convince Mieko, let alone anyone anyone else, that he was Aki Hara? The novelty of his transformation suddenly waned as the reality hit him. If anyone saw him walking around like this then he would be captured as some sort of freak science experiment or maybe exterminated by werewolf hunters. After today he was sure they were bound to exist.

Almost ruefully, Aki reached up and unclasped the locket from his neck. Only- it did not reverse the transformations.

"Aki!" He started at the sound of his mother calling from the hallway. "Aki! Your food is getting cold! Come down here this instant!" He could hear her footsteps coming closer and closer on the carpet until her shadow crept beneath the edge of the door. Nervously, Aki cracked his throat and dared a single word.

"Sure!" His mother paused, hand poised to rap. She frowned.

"You know, Aki, you sound like you're coming down with something."

"No!" Aki burst out unwittingly and she smiled at the high-pitched crack in his voice.

'Ah, must be puberty,' she thought.

"Well, when you get hungry, it will be on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator, all right?" She went away humming happily.

Aki's heart was drum-rolling from the near save. If she had found him, she might have chased him away thinking he was a monster or a deranged lunatic. Or maybe she would have listened. Either way, he wouldn't chance it. Plucking up his phone, he rapidly dialed the only one he could turn to for his supernatural problem.

He heard the phone ring once, twice, then three times. He waited in agony and then it picked up. "Aki?" came a voice painted with hopeful expression.

"Itoe ? Listen, it's Aki. I need you to come over right away. It's important." A sultry feminine laughter bubbled.

"Okay, Aki, just so long as I get to see what you've been hiding from me all these years. See ya in a few." The phone hang up and Aki nearly crossed himself.

The five o'clock bus rolled in only two minutes late and Aki nearly paced his floorboards out by then. He felt like, well, a dog stuck in a small kennel. By nature, his patience was limited and the energy he now felt seeping out from himself in small waves wasn't helping any. Agitated, he peeked through the bottom corner of his blinds once again and let of a sigh of relief. Itoe was coming up the sidewalk, bookbag in hand. Aki watched her stop and bow neatly to his mother when she opened the door for her. He heard them talking and saw his mother point in the direction of his room. Nervelessly, he waited for the approach. Suddenly, he couldn't stand it.

"Get in here!" he growled yanking the door open and pulling Itoe in by the collar. He whirled around and slammed the door behind them so that he was plastered to it. Then, abashed by what he had done, he slowly turned around.

Itoe looked at him amusedly. A small smile quipped her lips. Treading forward carefully, she tapped Aki on the nose. He backed away, flustered.

"So this is what you look like," Itoe mused. "No wonder you keep it hidden. You look like an exact replica of the old ruler. A grandson perhaps?"

"Not that I know of," Aki groused. "Look, Itoe, at the shrine you said something about concealing spells. Can I have one of those?" Her brows lifted almost imperceptibly.

"You don't have one?"

"Fuck, I don't know what a concealing spell is."

"How is that possible? You've always appeared as a human before now."

"Maybe that's because I've always been human before now." Itoe pursed her lips.

"I can't make any sense out the statement."

"Well neither can I. I don't know, Itoe, one minute I was at that strange shrine with the tombs and the next I was a dog." Wrathfully, he tossed the golden-heart shaped locket from his bed to Itoe's hand. She gasped.

"But! But this is! How did you get this?" Aki suppressed the urge to groan.

"It's a long story," he said sinking onto bedspread. Itoe listened with rapt attention.

"So what you're trying to say is that the magic in this locket somehow chose you for its new keeper and that it caused you to turn youkai?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"That incredible!" Inoe stood up on her tiptoes with a brilliant smile. "I knew that Shippo-sama's magic is incredible, but I never even heard of it being put to such uses."

"A kitsune, huh?" Aki tried to make heads or tails out of what she was saying.

"Of course! Shippo-sama is the most revered of my kind! Or maybe you didn't know that. Come to think of it, you've never seen me in my demon-form, have you?"

"Do I want to?" Itoe swatted him on the shoulder.

"It's not _that_ terrifying. Although for a newborne like you…"

"Stop yaking and get it over with already, that is if you're going to show me."

"Rude as ever, Aki." With a small shake to her head Itoe reached up to a necklace around her own neck. She did not even have to take it off, just make some invisible adjustment before the image before Aki shimmered and a tall sleek woman in her late teens appeared. A single auburn tail rippled out behind her. Aki gawked.

"Yes, I know, a few years older than you were expecting, ne? But I don't like working and I impersonate a human schoolgirl every now and again to get out of it. It's kind of like taking a brief vacation."

"Are you nineteen?" Inoe tilted her head haughtily.

"I am a hundred and eighty just so you now. In human years, that'd be _eighteen_." Aki crossed his arms arrogantly.

"Well since you're so much _older_ and smarter than I am, maybe you can help me figure out a way to get a spell like yours." He tugged at the locket which he had absently refixed around his neck.

"A concealing spell? All you need to do is go to the mall, really. Kitsune Corporation makes 'em, they're easy to get. I just hope you have a lot of allowance saved up. They are kind of expensive."

"How much?"

"3,689,702 Japanese yen, or about 30,000 U.S. Dollars." Aki whistled.

"I really doubt I have that much in pocket change, Inoe."

"I suppose that's because you're a human, or were anyway. Since we youkai are so long-lived, we tend to be able to afford little things like this. They're worth it though. The medallion I'm wearing has lasted me since I was a little baby." Aki coughed. It was hard to imagine Itoe as a newborn 180 years ago. Not when he'd seen her human personae "grow up" alongside him.

"Say, I couldn't just pay you back could I?" Itoe's eyes hardened, then softened. "Well, if you promise to return it all in the next hundred years then fine. But don't pretend that I've forgotten about all those rolls you've swiped from me, Aki Hara. You owe me 237 of those too."

"You've been counting?" She shrugged.

"I'm a kitsune. It's in my nature to hold grudges."

Aki reconsidered her. The Itoe he had known all his life was short, with flaxen-hair as though she had an American father. A pair of glasses had boldy rimmed her eyes yet not in way that detracted from her beauty. Always about her there had been a sort of natural charm. Perhaps a lot of this radiance had stemmed from her personality and the way she carried herself.

The Itoe he knew now was tall, at least another foot more than her impression of a schoolgirl. Her charm-filled face remained but instead of glasses, a pair of vivid green eyes became focal point to any observer. A rich, robust cascade replaced her neatly cropped hair, curling up at its edges and wafting up in tendrils to frame her face. As a whole her frame was clean and more willowy. Instead of being merely beautiful, the kitsune version of Itoe was simply enchanting.

Aki snuffed. Even if she could make the stars fall it wouldn't change the fact that she was still kitsune. He found something disagreeable in her odor.

"How are we gonna get to the mall?" Aki whined. "Everybody will see I'm a freak or somethin'."

"You really want to put yourself down that way, adorable?" Itoe's words were dullen, without even the barest bit of flirtation. She was merely making a statement. She didn't bother to see his reaction, instead she began digging through the chest of clothes at the foot of his bed.

"Hey, hey, hey that's mine!" Aki blurted snatching up shirts as they were strewn upon the floor.

"That is the premise, darling. Ah ha! I found it Aki! Your disguise!"

"What?" He found himself holding a ballcap with a sports team logo embroidered on it. "What's this?" He let out an irritated growl as the cap was forced on his head.

"It's for your ears, Aki. Geeze, if you're going to live as a youkai in a human world then you're going to have to think on your feet!" Aki fell silent, the possibility of a thousand things he had never dreamed before running through his head. An entire world filled with youkai, on the street, in the subway, on the bus, at school… maybe even his best friend was youkai.

"Keh," said Aki.

"What was that?" Itoe said cramming his t-shirts back into the chest them came from.

"Oh, nothing," said Aki. Both of them brushed it off.

Before long the two of them hopped the bus, having snuck out the window. It would do no good for Aki to be seen leaving his house with silvery-white hair, especially since he could swear it was growing an inch every minute. Already it had crept down past nape of his collar and then- who knows where it would stop?

The bus moved carefully through traffic and after twenty minutes were painfully lain to waste, it stopped at last at the largest terminal of the Tokyo Southern Mall. Aki dashed out the bus doors as soon as they opened with a creaky whine. Itoe was left to catch up, cursing him for his lack of subterfuge. She was the responsible demon accompanying a minor after all, and if anything went wrong it would fall on her shoulders. Itoe counted it a blessing that they entered the mall without an outbreak of mass hysteria.

Aki had been to the Southern Tokyo Mall hundreds, maybe even thousands of times. The entire complex was filled with memories, stretching back into the very beginnings of his lifetime. His mother would always take him to the Tokyo Mall to do her shopping. As a preschooler he would hold onto her hand tightly as they waded through the crowds. Bored, he would stand outside the changing room or sometimes in the changing room if she wanted him to try on some new jeans. If he was good, then later they would visit the pet store or maybe the candy shop. Aki Hara could remember all the times he had practically skipped out of the mall with a half pound bag of candy clutched in his hand. With chagrin, he could also remember that at Christmas time, he used to be one of the many young kids to sit on the mall Santa's lap.

But there were many more memories of recent date also. Aki could recall all the times he had come here with friends to the movie theatre. He had his own favorite clothing stores now and there was a sushi bar he had worked at once. Most of all, he had been here a half-dozen times this year on "dates" with Mieko. The girl practically lived here.

Looking around, Aki was relieved not to see the girl he was so reluctantly attached to. He straightened up, rolled his shoulders back so that they cracked in their sockets, and gave a long sigh of relief. But that did not solve the mystery of where to buy a sealing spell for youkai.

Aki was about to raise his voice in askance when Itoe grabbed his shoulder and pushed him towards a broken escalator. He balked, noticing for the first time ever a series of green glowing lights stretched out into letters. "Tokyo Underground Shopping Center," it read.

Aki blinked. But Itoe persisted and he took one quick step towards the escalator. Before he could even reach the mouth of it, it was a though he passed through a cascade of warm water. A wall of energy surrounded him, then vanished and Aki found himself looking back at the mirror image of himself and Itoe, walking away in the opposite direction of the escalator. He was now very confused.

"Come on Aki," said Itoe tuigging on his sleeve again, this time wearing emotions of patience and understanding. "It's just a security spell, cast by illusionist youkai." Aki nodded.

Another escalator lay before them, this one rolling merrily. Aki walked on board and felt the ground shunt forward beneath him. He watched the belt carefully and when it reached its ending, he leapt forward to avoid getting his shoelaces caught. The slightly unpleasant smell of heated rubber clogged his nostrils.

And then Itoe was there, shaking her head at him. She gave him a wide grin and her eyes sparkled at the thought of what was waiting for Aki.

"Welcome to the Tokyo Underground Mall," she smiled broadly. She lifted a hand and a pair of stained glass doors, with an etching of the same phrase, swung open.

Aki gawked. Beyond a lavish display of a a fountain and live foliage, dozens of small houses sat sprawled underneath a fake night sky. Thousands of tiny electric lights dotted the ceiling like tiny pinpricks and in the courtyard below, large old-styled lanterns flooded the paved stone with a vibrant glow. The lights danced merrily, skipping about from time to time and leaping pole to pole so that Aki was convinced that these, at least were not run by electricity. Itoe cleverly guessed at what he was staring.

"Those are youkai fires," she said with arms folded behind her back. "I'm not sure whose but they are not kitsune. We usually have a blue fire called kitsune-bi."

"Oh," said Aki Hara.

Author Notes: Not sure if this site allows for more than 100 chapters per story so maybe I'll post the next chapter as a sequel, hum?


	101. Chapter 101

**This chapter references characters from chapters 64 and 100.**

_**Sesshomaru-**_ (Inuyasha's elder brother, the reigning Taiyoukai and founder of Takahashi Enterprises.)

_**Shippo-**_ (Co-founder of Kitsune Corporation. Resident of a large temple and current possessor of the Tetsusiaga.)

_**Murasaki-**_ (Guardian to the Tomb of the Late Honorable Ruler. Descendent of Bounsa.)

**Yasuo-** (Inuyasha's second child. Sesshomaru's nephew and active spy for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Kiku-**_ (A green-haired bat demoness whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services. Her quirks are dying her hair pink and chasing after Yasuo's affections, despite the fact that Yasuo is the boss's nephew and her spy partner.)

_**Riku–**_ (A diminutive priestess whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services. Her primary weapon is a staff with bells on it; her partner is Kyo.)

_**Kyo-**_ (a black panther demon with piercing yellow eyes and buff arms whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Desiree**__-_ (An elegant, French speaking demoness whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Aijo-**_ Inuyasha's eldest son, married to Princess Kuroi in the Feudal Era, father of Iyazoi.

_**Itoe**__-_ (a kitsune/ fellow student of Aki's)

_**Mieko**__-_ (Aki's wanna-be-girlfriend)

_**Aki**__-_ (A boy who just found out he's not human anymore, and possibly much more)

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Inuyasha, do you?

**Chapter 101**

Sesshomaru drumrolled his claws on the polished surface of his oaken wood desk. A series of pencil-thick holes appeared instantaneously and with a despondent sigh, the Tai-youkai decided that Jakin needed to purchase yet another replacement desk. Two office remodelings in one week was not a good record. Perhaps he should order black marble instead.

Furious, Sesshomaru glared at the as-yet unopened door to his office room. True, it was not like the someone he was waiting for was late- there were two minutes yet till their scheduled meeting. Still, it was within Sesshomaru's experience that his anticipated guest mocked punctuality with an almost childlike impudence. It was something that only he, as the revered founder and partial owner of Kitsune Corporation, and as Sesshomaru's adopted nephew, could get away with.

With a muted growl low in his throat, Sesshomaru pulled out a thin, silver cellphone. He flipped it open and with one continuous roll of numbers, he dialed Shippo's phone number. It gave two rings and picked up. Sesshomaru's lip curled downward in a slightly suspicious frown. He listened carefully to the recorded message. A mature yet lively voice echoed through electronic space.

"Hello. This is Shippo Takahashi. All operators are occupied right now, so please select from the following options. 'A', if you are one of my kits asking for money, the answer is no though you're fabulous. 'B', if you're an attractive female between 5-6' tall, then please dial extension B-MINE right away. Alternative 'C', if your name is Sesshomaru Takahashi and you're sitting in your office right now waiting for me, then please check your mail inbox for an important attachment."

Frowning still more, Sesshomaru downloaded his inbox and before opening the actual file, and held his cellphone as far away from himself as possible. He clicked the "ok" button once, and with it came an explosion of emerald green flames. The black shadow of a tiny five-tailed fox accompanied it, spiraling into the air in a small ball before unwinding itself to land, feet sprawled upon the oaken table. Sesshomaru glared into its emerald eyes and vaporous teeth before the creature curled into a puff of smoke, revealing a 5'-6" humanoid demon dressed appropriately in a business suit. His leather shoes stood exactly where the concentrated fog had been. Sesshomaru watched, almost bored, as a recently waxed shoe descended from the table and Shippo dropped himself into a nearby chair. An arrogant smirk was plastered from ear to ear.

"Kitsune portal, again, nephew?" Sesshomaru retained his stoic expression. Shippo shrugged.

"Fastest way to travel these days. I much prefer your cellphone as the exit point, though. Last time, when I tried to cross using the internet, my spell ran into a computer that was virused. I ended up taking an unplanned vacation in Panama."

"That sounds like suffering." Sesshomaru scoffed.

"Well, no matter." Shippo leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and folded his hands on one knee. It was an almost contemplative gesture.

"Uncle Sesshomaru, what have you called me here for? I hope it's not to track down another bunch of perfumes."

"There is no need, kitsune." The Taiyoukai interlaced his fingers together so that he could lean forward just a bit more as he spoke with his nephew. The shoulders of both youkai were relaxed, showing the startling lack of enmity between them.

"I requested your presence today because Murasaki called with some very interesting news. It seems that the locket of my late brother has gone missing from the tomb." Shippo stood up quickly, fists clenched and tail trembling.

"How dare they! How dare they!" he wrathed.

"Calm yourself down, kitsune," the elder youkai admonished. "The priestess named Riku and her work partner examined the site today. There is no sign of the spell's dissolution. It can only mean one thing. Inuyasha's soul has been reincarnated." Shippo slumped back in his chair, clutching the armrests.

"So it really is time."

"Indeed. I have already contacted several operatives of the SSS. They are coming here tonight, to be informed. After this, they will go and seek out our reincarnate, just as Aijo requested of me five centuries ago." A solemn hush fell of the room then, as both demons, with their tiresome longitivity, remembered all those fallen to the laws of time. A quarter demon brother- various mates- children- comrades. Sesshomaru flipped a page off his calendar as he fought down the uncomfortable thoughts that welled within him, the longing for those members of his family which had gone off into the great beyond before him, and to a better place. The middle-aged demon suddenly felt- weary. But the light rekindled in his eyes once more as they rested on the many joyful photos which adorned his workdesk. They brightened too at the sight of his nephew across from him.

"Listen pup," he said gruffly, "you and I both know it is inevitable that he will find _her_. Yasuo will do his utmost to find both of them."

"I understand, Sesshomaru-sama. Should I take him the sword?"

"No. As I understand, the Tetsusiaga truly became one with my brother during his lifetime. If it is true, then it will return to its master."

"You're right of course." Shaking his head sadly, Shippo stood up and stretched out his tail which had lengthened and split into five strands over the centuries.

"I should probably return home to the temple then. I am the sword's guardian after all."

"That would be advisable."

The younger demon gave a curt nod and excused himself from the room. This left the elder youkai alone to do no more than straighten his tie. He then stood and exited the room himself.

Exactly eighteen minutes later, Sesshomaru had wend his way to a conference room set up solely for his use. The room was broad, deep, and high-ceilinged in an modern replication of the great halls of old. One of the greatest differences here, was the lack of a great hearth since such conventions had become unnecessary since the invention of central heating. The lanterns, candlesticks, and even chandeliers, which had been all the rage before the invention of electricity, had vanished as well, to be replaced by incandescent light bulbs and even the sickly luminescence of halogens. At times, modern electric lighting caused Sesshomaru to shudder. He disliked the sickening yellow tint it brought to a room. As a demon heralding from far older times, he held an almost nostalgic affection for the live flicker of an oil lamp, or the sereneness of pure darkness softened only by a dim dusting silver, cast from a far off moon.

Instead the world had turned to the horrors of vapor-thick paint. Fortunately for Sesshomaru, he was more than amply wealthy enough to furnish the room with consideration to his delicate senses. The other demons whom worked here appreciated the efforts he had taken to have room paneled with fine woodwork. It had the pleasing addition of a wall fountain as well, which hummed and tinkled merrily down the side of a eight foot piece of black slate. A few pots of bamboo and a curving settee nested in the corner, along with a small locked bar and a coffee pavilion. As a final effort, he had forgone the usual thin hard carpet typical to offices, in favor of expensive stone tiles and, where fiber spread itself out like a curving pool of tan water, he had chosen a thick carpet made of natural materials instead of a synthetic one. In all, the furnishing of the conference room had cost him a pretty penny but it was not, to him, more than a drop in the bucket of all his companies expenditures; and in consideration how much time he actually spent in this room, he knew it was well worth it.

Sesshomaru paced before the vast windows of the conference room and haughtily peered out the black, wooden blinds. Nighttime was falling on the city and Yasuo, he knew, was getting out of classes. This fact he was keenly aware of because of all Inuyasha's many children, Sesshomaru had come to like Yasuo the most. This favoritism was made obvious in that Sesshmaru was financing Yasuo's entire college education. Not that it was the least bit inconvenient for him.

Indeed, if anything, through attending college Yasuo was doing a great service to the reigning tai-youkai. All of Yasuo's education supported his abilities as a spy and sometimes legal enforcer for Sesshomaru's youkai government. Ever since that first rescue mission when Jakin had stupidly let in an enemy miko whom was posing as a girl scout selling mint cookies, and he had been captured and imprisoned with ofudas as a result, Yasuo had become an indispensable member of the group which had dubbed themselves, "Shessy's Secret Service." He, himself, regarded the name to be quite foolish. It contained all the inflated pomp of a marital arts group.

In a way, a Yasuo's name, meaning peaceable one, had become prophetic. He was now of age and as such, he was authorized to maintain the peace on Sesshomaru's authority. It was a job he truthfully and wholly enjoyed, and Sesshomaru was more than happy to allow him to keep it since in a strange twist of irony, his association with the group actually kept his nephew safer from those whom might wish him ill in this modern world. It was not the first time those protected by the group had entered its ranks. That was how Desiree and Kiku had come to work for him, after all. Both had been hunted exiles for their disjoint reasons.

Sesshomaru stood and watched the city be consumed by the gathering darkness. It was something he had done from this very window hundreds of times. Again the tiny stream of cars became a thread of streaming lights. Again, the buildings lost their brilliant reflectance in exchange for the internal glow of lamps left on overnight or alternatively, blackened windows. Down at the sidewalk level, life continued its bustle as people, so tiny to not even constitute pinpricks, flowed out the merrily lit doors and the broad canopies of ground level to stream toward the vast stretches of asphalt which held vehicles. For the most part, this mass exodus marked the end of a workday in the white collar district.

Sesshomaru watched this all this, an important functioning part of his empire, without any emotion. And yet when he looked upwards, his heart smoldered at the sight of the new moon, waxing high and brilliant before him. He yearned to rise up at its invitation, skimming his paws on the sea of silver clouds it created. Only not now. He had something far more important to do at the moment.

Sesshomaru turned and released the hands which had folded behind his back as he stood so thoughtfully. The room he occupied was currently empty save for he, but he soon became aware of a gentle rustling. He lowered himself to a seat at the conference table, and just a moment later Yasuo burst into the room.

Silver hair was a trait which marked him as a proud member of the inu-youkai. Yasuo shared also the inheritance of two twin pools of gold and amber. It seemed that the eyes and hair of the family were their most dominant characteristic. Yasuo, unfortunately, was lacking somewhat in strength and hearing compared to a full or even half- blooded youkai but to his credit his speed as a gunman was not the least bit diminished. He had some flame of his father and grandfather's cunning as well.

Yasuo had been able to successfully hide his spy work from Aijo and the rest of the family. It was not too difficult a task since they had become settled in the ancient world which Sesshomaru longingly reminisced; the days when armor was more respectable than a business suit and the weight of a good sword was one's most comforting companion. If forced to make such a decision as well, Sesshomaru was certain he would have chosen to dwell in a land where the wind blew fresh and clean, laden with the sugared scent of newly torn leaves.

Yasuo, however, had become the odd one out of his family. With his diminished sense of smell he was able to feel comfortable in the modern world despite the unpleasantries of a human overpopulation. He had developed a fascination for computers at a young age and as young adult, that interest had grown into a full-blown love of complicated electronic, mechanical, and explosive devices. He was never one to thrust himself to the forefront of battle as his father and brother had done. Instead, he was content to sit in the background. He also was the most academically inclined of all of them. He actually liked school.

It had been Yasuo's choice to spend as much of his time as possible at his grandmother's house, with his Uncle Sota and his family. He savored the luxuries of the modern world and spent a great deal of time visiting his Uncle Sesshomaru. At first, Sesshomaru had taken him on fun outings such as to the amusement park and to the zoo. Then, he let the pup scamper around causing havoc in his office building. As time progressed, Sesshomaru found himself caring about the pup more and more. His trust in Yasuo also grew and in time he found himself entrusting Yasuo with more and more responsibilities. It had been Yasuo whom had requested that he be assigned work partner to Kiku.

Kiku's first acquaintance to Yasuo had been as a newly assigned guard. Sesshomaru had watching over the Higurashi family for years in order to follow the life of Kagome. After she disappeared down the well for the first time, he knew that his brother and his family would be coming soon. At this point, he had reassigned Kiku to watch over the occupants of Higurashi Shrine so that when the pups were born, they would suffer no lack of protection. It was the least he could do for his brother's tender family.

However, partly in accordance to her own mischievous desires, Kiku had involved the younger of the two quarter-youkai brothers. She had dragged him along on one of their rescue missions and because of this, Yasuo's eyes had been opened to a whole new world of fighting. It was a fighting world seemingly made just for him.

Since Sesshomaru valued strength, he allowed his nephew to enter this great new world. For many years he allowed the child to do no more than basic training and to participate off the battlefield. But soon his own notions of youkai right and wrong took hold and he allowed the pup to wander into the fray. After all, though he might have learned to spare the weak he still believed in strength. If the pup was worthy he would prove his right to live; and prove it he did. He worked under the tutelage of Kiku and many others until finally, he was reassigned not as a trainee but as an equal partner.

At times Sesshomaru forgot that Yasuo was not born in this modern era. He seemed to fit into it so naturally. He did not choose to wear the ancient clothing. Instead, he wore loose-fitting jeans bleached to look worn even before they were sold, why the Tai-youkai could not fathom. Often he wore screen tees although today Yasuo was wearing a black polo shirt with a purple skull on the bottom corner, so wrapped up in a purple mist it was difficult to interpret the drawing. Since Yasuo had just gotten off classes, a large sports backpack was slung over his shoulder. Yasuo went through backpacks often since he crammed so many books in them- at least one every semester. A leather tooled belt helped keep his cellphone close at hand and finally, his precious laptop was kept in a special padded bag all is own. The case was plastered with logo stickers the quarter demon collected out of whimsy. By all appearances, Yasuo was just an ordinary twenty year old.

The appearance was deceiving. In reality, not only was Yasuo a part youkai, a member of the ruling family, and the inheritor of a vast estate (currently unknown to him), he was also very skilled in what Sesshomaru called "patient work". As part of the SSS, Yasuo involved himself in stakeouts, planning, information gathering, interrogations, sweeps, and searches. He was the most skilled hacker in Sesshomaru's employ as well. His appreciation for such tasks meant that Yasuo would, more often than not, act as a support team member while Kiku and the others took the aggressive. This made for a good match between them- Kiku's forwardness, sharp shooting, and hand-to-hand combat skills could take down tough enemies while Yasuo watched her back.

Of course all was not well in the world. When Yasuo had come into adolescence Kiku had begun to subject his nephew to a sort of fond harassment but Sesshomaru felt no inclinations to inhibit her. Such a flirting attitude was standard among demonesses. Even complete nudity was permitted in the workplace since quite simply, demons think differently than humans do. Sesshomaru was driven out of his musing thoughts when Yasuo spoke.

"Uncle Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Yes, young pup?"

"I am here."

"That is good." A silence fell upon them, save for sound of the fountain and the bubble of the coffee brewer. Yasuo stood up, stretched, and wandered towards the sweet promise of caffeine. Out of habit, he prepared two cups instead of one. The second, he handed across the table to Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru-sama." A wall of formality arose about them. "Would you care to tell me about this new mission?"

"When everyone is gathered, Yasuo. It needs only saying once."

The quarter demon knew better than try to convince him otherwise. Instead, he reached up and fiddled with the small black bead he wore around his neck. Sesshomaru had given it to him as a present to hide mystical weapons such as the sword the Dog Goddess had given him. He also carried with him a sword made from the fang of his father, and one from his uncle as well. In short, it was nothing short of a mobile artillery. Sesshomaru took a short sip of his coffee.

"How are classes going?"

"Pretty good. I have a couple of exams next week." Yasuo took up his own cup of coffee.

The air almost had a companionable tick to it when the door swung open and Desiree stepped inside. As usual, the slim and elegant demoness was wearing a high-cut skirt, boots, and jewelry. Her blue hair shimmered around her blending into a matching blue blouse which Yasou had never seen her wear before. This was no surprise since Desiree knew just as much about shopping as she did spywork. She practically glided across the room towards them. She set herself down at the table and eyed their cups of coffee.

"Is there more?" she said.

"In the carafe," returned Sesshomaru. It was almost a command that she get some as well so she rose to her feet and glided away again to the corner where the coffee pavilion resided. Instead of returning to the table immediately, she loitered on the settee, skimming through one of the magazines.

The door swung open rapidly. In answer to everyone's expectations, Riku and Kyo were the next to hasten through the doorway. Kyo, a middle aged, battle hardened panther youkai, was forced to stoop so that the doorframe did not scrape his ears as his entered. His yellow eyes gleamed bright with anticipation. It was a sharp contrast to the pixie-like miko whom clung around his neck, hung like a shawl from his back. Even after all these years, her outfit had not altered in the slightest. She resembled an elf run away from Santa's workshop.

Yasuo cleared his throat and bolted down his coffee. His nerves shivered with an almost horrified anticipation and sure enough, as he slammed down the mug on the table so hard that it nearly shattered a pair of slim hands pressed before his eyes. From behind, a pair of soft breasts pressed themselves just below his shoulder blade.

"Guess who," an unmistakable voice trilled. Yasuo scowled, his frown enough to match Sesshomaru's. He threw her hands off without looking backwards.

"Everyone knows its you, Kiku," he stated. He wisely kept influctuation from his tone.

"Hmn." Kiku stalked off with a disappointed air but instead of going more than a few paces, she turned around on her heel and with a wide grin, slid herself into the chair next to him.

"Hah. Got you, Yasuo. You thought you got rid of me, huh, Yasuo?" The poor quarter demon could do no more than sigh for himself. The corner of Sesshomaru's lip almost quivered. Inside, he was laughing at his nephew.

"Since the tardy Kiku is here," he said voluminously while pushing away his own, empty coffee cup, "that means we are all gathered together. This is a mission of great importance. I warn you now that there is no option whether to participate."

That statement drew all of their attentions sharply towards him as it never had before. Even in the worst of missions they were given the opportunity to decline if they thought themselves unfit to participate. That Sesshomaru had made it mandatory shocked all of them. The Tai-youkai had acquired a far off look and when he brought his eyes to meet Yasuo's again they had regained their cruel temperance of old.

"Any one who fails will be punished for it. I expect you to find two persons, one Itoe Negishi and the other Aki Hara." Sesshomaru drew forth a small folder so fast that it seemed to come from no where. He peeled it open carefully to reveal two snapshots. Both appeared to be of mere human teenagers.

"Both of these suspects are wanted for questioning in regards to the desecration of my late brother's tomb. One or both of them have stolen a priceless relic from it."

Yasuo blinked. His face was oddly blank though his heart beat against his ribs sickeningly. He picked up the first of the two pictures and stared at it. The school girl looked bored to him, hardly a candidate for a suspect unless she had committed the crime to relieve boredom.

"My lord, might we know what this sacred relic was?" Desiree was speaking and Yasou twisted his head to look at her. She looked professional. Of course she did, this was no more than another job to her. This was not her family which had been slighted.

"A locket. Approximately one and a half inches wide and gold colored. It contains the pictures of my late brother and sister-in-law-inside."

Yasuo choked. He practically trembled with his rage. He knew the locket they were speaking of. The living parent, waiting for him back in the Feudal Era, esteemed it one of his greatest treasures. That someone dared to steal it from him after death horrified him. He felt a sympathetic hand, Kiku's he knew, slide onto his knee. For once it was not wholly unwelcome.

"Lord Sesshomaru-Sama, what is the time the crime was committed?"

"Exactly ten-fifteen on a school day. This I think you will find relevant because both of the suspects were attending a school fieldtrip. I have already had profiles of both suspects and the addresses associated with them compiled. The girl known as Itoe is a kitsune of the same name. She has just turned of legal age. The other is not registered as a youkai descendent."

Sesshomaru pulled the second photo out from the other one so that it was clearly visible. The figure looked young, a boy of only fifteen. He had his arms crossed grumpily over his front and broad scowl on his face. Not exactly the most adoring photo.

But Yasuo's eyes wandered to the face once again and he took in a quick breath. The boy might have been a brother of his. Indeed, he so closely resembled Aijo that it was tempting to think that the picture had been stolen from his own photo albums.

"Forgive me for saying this, my lord," began Desiree, picking up where Kyo had left off, "but the child seems to bear a strong resemblance to Yasuo. Could he be related in some way?" Yasuo quirked his head at her. Was she crazy? He looked nothing like his brother and father, well to his own family anyway. Sesshomaru's next words stunned him.

"That may indeed be the case. The locket was taken without any force being applied and without dissolution of the spell. The spell was created so that only one person could so remove it. That one person is Inuyasha's reincarnation."

"What? I thought your brother's soul already went through revival. It was in all the papers!"

"Indeed. But it seems time works in mysterious ways. There are two Inuyasha's within this era. The second is no longer Inuyasha, but Aki Hara."

"So you think that your brother was reborn as a human?"

"What else would you have me think?" Sesshomaru put in mildly. "But the real mystery is why he was able to pass into the grounds when the barrier excludes all non-youkai. It leads me to wonder about his soul. Riku, perhaps you could enlighten me on this subject." Riku fidgeted, suddenly looking even smaller in her chair.

"Well your brother was and still remains one of the few hanyous in existence. There has been little chance for those with spiritual abilities to witness what becomes of the soul but there are a few things recorded. First, in the Heian times a priest wrote that when he slew a hanyou the soul could not ascend to heaven since it could not decide where to go. Once the priest separated the soul into two parts, a human soul and a youkai one, it was able to go two separate ways. The human half ascended to heaven. The other went to hell as is beneficial to demons." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at this account.

"My brother's soul was not subject to separation in any way. What of the soul then?" Riku bit her lip nervously.

"Well, my lord there are more part-youkai now. There have been studies, scientific ones, my lord, of mixed blood families. They have found that sometimes a person will go many years without showing a youkai trait before it develops. Even more rarely, a complete transformation will take place as their youkai soul awakens. This is possible because youkai are, my lord, first and foremost a manifestation of intangible energy seeking to take a physical form. Youkai energy can reform the body if even a single thread tied to the physical form survives."

"You speak correctly, priestess," Sesshomaru said approvingly. "Hundreds of years prior to this, I had the pleasure of beheading one of my enemies and keeping the head in my dining hall for three months. It took that long for the youkai's soul to separate from his corpse so I amused myself by putting it on and taking it off again at my leisure. I learned a lot of profanities that way."

Kyo and Desiree, being older demons, began chuckling softly. The younger set looked horrified instead.

"So is it safe to say that my brother's human soul carried its demon half with him."

"Yes my lord. It would explain why the boy was able to pass through the barrier though all his ancestors were of human blood."

Unconsciously, Yasuo's hand had slipped around the one Kiku had lain on his knee. He squeezed it tightly, barely containing his wonder.

The reincarnation of his own father? Could such a thing be? He stared deeply into the face on the photograph once more and conceded it was possible. Surely, this would be a hunt like no other.


	102. Chapter 102

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Inuyasha, do you?

**Chapter 102: A Modest Fascination**

Aki Hara stopped and gawked amazedly at the sight before him. Here, beneath a landmark which had been important throughout his entire life, was a secret world he could never have imagined even in his wildest dreams. A double line of shops and houses, seemingly stripped from the market district of ancient Edo, stood poised below a pretense of stars. The blue lights of youkai fire slowly revolved around his head bringing a peculiar tinge to his hanyou ears. Aki stared in fascination at the inhuman creatures whom went around doing their usual shopping. They stared too, in return.

The street was broad. At all points crossing it was like to making one's way across an interstate. The purpose for this excess was made plain when a lumbering, giant paw nearly descended upon Aki. Itoe hissed and pulled him away just in time. As she scolded him to pay attention to where he was going, Aki fixed his eyes upon the underside of a badger demon's belly. Elsewhere, a talking ram was complaining about such antics to his wife. The day's shopping was tied to his back while his wife, walking alongside in a humanoid form, nodded along with his statements.

A couple of kitsune children scampered across the floor, along with a furry black canine-like creature with tail of a lion. One of the shopkeepers stood beneath the canopy of her doorway and Aki noted, with a start, that she bore talons instead of hands which kept turning into fingers when she needed to rearrange things. An elegant woman sat on the park bench reading a book with ancient kanji on the front. Beside her stood a traveling crib filled to bursting with kittens. Aki watched in fascination as she put down the book, unbuttoned her blouse, and set one of the kittens to suckle there. A large group of brindled wolves lunched on the patio of a restaurant, interspersed with elf-like family members. A giant floating head drifted lazily down the street.

"Aki," Itoe admonished breaking his concentration. "If anyone asks tell them you are new to the city. All right?" Aki sniffed.

"Now why should I do that?"

"Because you stick out like a sore thumb, Aki. Now put your hands over your eyes before they drop out. Sheesh."

"I wasn't staring."

"Sure you weren't." Itoe rolled her eyes at him. "Look, when we get into the store let me do the talking." Aki scoffed.

"You won't find me complaining. It's not like I actually like shopping."

Aki skulked as they walked along. He tried to keep his eyes straight forward but they could not help but stray towards the peddlers, whom with only mats to display their wares offered an abundance of knickknacks such as chopsticks, obis, and women's hairpins.

It seemed that they had begun their route in some sort of historic section, for soon the antiquated buildings fell away. Tall steel and glass buildings rose in their stead, peering down on them with superiority. The minute details of the historic district were replaced by clean cut lines and vast, open cathedrals of retail space. One of the largest and most imposing of these structures bore glowing electric letters which spelled out, "Myerith Faythe." The jewelry bedecked cushions and foam busts were a clue that this was a jewelry store of some kind. Aki stuffed his hands in his pockets and regarded an ornate tiara.

"You know Aki, do you want to wait outside for me? This might take quite a while." Aki rocked back and forth in his uncomfortable loafers and shrugged.

"Sure. Just don't get me anything stupid, okay?"

"Just a sec. Give me the locket from off your neck, Aki. Maybe they can put the concealing spell there. Or if you, prefer, I could get you a bracelet."

Aki blinked. For some reason, the thought of removing the locket was too much to bear. Even considering it as a possibility made him feel strangely empty. The mute, pulse-like beating against his own heart had quickly become an addiction and his hand wrapped around it stubbornly.

"No. Get the bracelet Itoe." Seeing the way Itoe narrowed her eyes at him, Aki added, "please?"

"Whatever Aki Hara. Just go sit down." The tall kitsune girl stalked off, swishing her long tail behind her. Aki watched the automatic doors whoosh closed, then wandered off to a park bench to wait.

A half hour passed in which Aki was not alone. The bench he had chosen was approximate to a large central fountain where a cluster of the strangest children Aki had ever seen were gathered. A storyteller was entertaining the group for yen. Aki could not keep himself from evesdropping. After all, he had certainly never before heard the Tale of the Fish Demon Princess, whom escaped her kingdom only to end up in the frying pan of her beloved, a neko she had fallen in love with for his elegant looks. Nor had he ever heard the Eye-Hunting Youkai that lived under a bridge seeking revenge on the warrior whom had blinded her mate. Aki was just getting into the battle scene of the Story of the Great Demon Samurai when Itoe's voice caused his ears to perk up. He hastened across the courtyard to meet her. The fox demon dropped a single thin band of silver onto his palm. Itoe's large emerald eyes peered at him anxiously, trying to gauge his reaction.

"This was the best thing I could find for you, Aki. What do you think?"

It looked like an ordinary bracelet. A loop of silver had been pounded flat into a thin slice of a cylinder. There were no jewels to give it awkward splendor; instead the only ornamentation was a row of celtic crosses running all around. Aki supposed he could tolerate it.

"Not bad, Itoe. It was cheap right?"

"Hardly. But it should last you a few centuries at least. It comes with a warrantee."

"That is if I have a few centuries."

"You should. You're youkai now. Your demonic aura will keep the age off."

"But it won't keep my hair from going silver, won't it?" Itoe laughed softly. She grabbed a shoulder by the paw and steered the reluctant hanyou in the direction of the exit.

"Come on, baka, let's go. Wait! Aren't you gonna try it on?"

"Yeah."

Aki slipped on the bracelet. His claws vanished before his very eyes. Aki doubled back to the courtyard fountain and peered down at the glassy bottom. He greeted his old image with a wide relieved grin.

"Finally," he grumbled giving the bracelet a loose turn about his wrist. "I guess that means I can go home now."

"Of course," said Itoe proudly. "Now aren't you glad you have a kind, considerate friend like me, hm?

"Keh. Whatever. Say, Itoe, didn't you say there was a way to turn these on and off?"

"Sorry, this one is a low end model."

"What?"

"Just kidding, Aki. Trace your finger on the symbols and recite a chosen word. Pick carefully because after you say it once the word becomes permanent."

"Ok. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well, once you put it on the bracelet should be nigh to impossible to remove. It connects with your youkai, you see, almost like a subduing rosary. But you can use the chosen word to cause the spell to sleep for a little while. Then you can take it off if you want or just repress the illusion."

"Um, cool?"

"Clever is more like it. It's an amazing piece of magic, which, I am proud to say, was done by kitsunes."

"Keh. Such modesty Itoe."

"I know. Let's get back, Aki. That is unless you want to go clothes shopping with me."

"No chance."

_**Elsewhere:**_

"Hello, this is the residence of Aki Hara. May I ask who's speaking? You don't say, hum, oh no! Don't tell me he's cheating on me!" With a furious faked sob, Kiku hung up the cellphone, which had, by some great misfortune, started to ring as she searched the Hara residence.

"Kiku! Will you please try to be serious?" Yasuo admonished. He closed his hand upon the cellphone and removed it from Kiku's fingers. "Do you mind? That might have been one of our best leads!"

"Oh please," Kiku said rolling her eyes as she sat down on the bed. "That schoolgirl has been calling the suspect all afternoon. I listened to the messages myself. If she really knew where he was, she wouldn't be leaving him queries. Besides, this is a complete innocent we're dealing with here. He'll be home before dark."

"True." The quarter demon surprised both of them by sitting down next to her. They both stared across the floorboards of the ordinary room, gazing into the eddies of dust illuminated by the yellow shaft sloping in from the room's only window.

"Say," the bat demonness quietly. "How are you holding up, Yasuo?" She gave him sideways glance and a soft, concerned smile.

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"If you say so. I just wondered because you know, this job is personal." Yasuo only remained silent to her question.

"So what have we found out so far?"

"Well," Kiku began thoughtfully, "while I was out I contacted Desiree. She says that Aki Hara left as soon as the fieldtrip was over. That was at twelve pm. He missed his six and seventh block classes. It lends to the suspicion that indeed he took the locket."

"Furthermore, he and Itoe, whom were not reputed to be on particularly good terms, are on an outing according to his mother."

"I thought she didn't know we are here."

"She doesn't. I just used one of my disguises and dropped in as one of Aki's schoolfriends. She says they just vanished without telling her where they were going."

"Well, either they are on a secret date or the fox demon knows something about Aki Hara. She may even possess the locket."

"There was one phone call before her arrival here. It lasted only thirty seconds so not much could have been said over the phone. It was from Aki."

"So Itoe is his confident?"

"Probably."

"Should we wait here for him?"

"Those are our orders. Incidentally, there was a wire-transfer of payment from Itoe's bank account approximately ten minutes ago. It went to a jewelry store in the Underground Tokyo Mall. Desiree is headed over there now."

"It looks like we won't have to wait long then."

"Yup." Kiku nodded her agreement, then opened a leather side pouch on her low slung belt. There were other pouches for bullets and halters for her guns and from the largest she withdrew something having nothing to do with weapons whatsoever. She pulled out two rather smooshed homemade egg-salad sandwiches and offered one to Yasuo.

"Want one? It has paprika." Yasuo smiled at her.

"Sure." They both sat side by side on Aki's bed eating their sandwiches.

_**Southern Tokyo Underground Mall:**_

It was amazing to Aki how incredibly right this all felt. On the outside he was human once more, but in the inside, he could feel his dog ears twitching and his life energy whirling around him. The nagging emptiness which had eaten at him his whole life had for the most part receded. He felt whole, warm, and important.

And to think all it had taken one one simple locket. Still, the locket itself seemed imbued with even more mysteries than the secret world Aki had stumbled upon. It hummed, the frequency of its vibrations becoming even more and vocal as time went on. Perhaps, Aki pondered, it was possessed.

The panic Aki had felt about being stuck as a paranormal creature had receded to be replaced with his initial enthusiasm on the subject. He could hardly wait and see what this body of his could do although so far as he could tell he was not able to walk through walls or turn invisible. His body felt weighted to the ground too. But perhaps he could transform himself into a horrible slobbering fanged monster eighteen feet tall, with fur black as midnight, and breathing fire and electric bolts. Now that would be cool.

But the person whom Aki was, even before becoming part-demon, remained undiminished. His interests were the same as the human Aki and so it was when they passed a music store Aki had never been in before, his feet halted on the spot. Itoe blew right past him then turned around to see why her friend had his feet glued to the sidewalk. She saw his eyes riveted on the simple wooden placard announcing the store's title.

"Want to go in, Aki?"

"Yeah." Aki broke out of his rapt reverie. And here he had though he had been to every music related shop in Tokyo! With giddiness to match the not so distant moment he had watched himself transform in the mirror, he opened the shop door. The entrance bell rang with a merry tinkle.

The shop was dark and shadowy in the foyer but as he passed into its interior it became lit by a near complete coverage of the ceiling by florescent lamps. The floorspace itself was logically arranged into long rows of display shelves (like to Borders). A stringent order reigned here although on an upper balcony this order dissolved into glass cases and drum sets interspersed with racks and piano benches. Aki longingly fondled the price tag on one of the guitars. To his surprise there were quite a few ancient and international instruments as well.

A new instrument was way beyond his current allowance, so Aki returned to the store's entry level. Here, he gravitated toward a bookshelf filled with musical notation. Beneath a used copy of "An Introduction to the Fife", he found a brand new copy of, "The Platinum Songs of Demon Lore." Aki flicked through the composition with practiced fingers. Judging from the sheet alone, the group seemed to be a kind of a mild rock band. Next, Aki practically floated onward to the shelves containing music cds.

After an exhaustive scanning of the first shelf, Aki moved on the next. He knew Itoe must be getting restless. Still, he could not help but smile in amusement at the sight of a section dedicated to human artists. His smile fell away as he drew nearer to it, for the locket at his neck began to pulse even stronger.

His own heart began to roil, responding to the pull of something indescribable. A flood of nostalgic love warmed his heart. Mesmerized, Aki hand drifted of its own accord and his locket thrummed like a guiding beacon. The hum stopped as his hand closed upon the thin, smooth case of a single. A girl his age graced the cover. She looked timid. A small harp lay at her knee and Aki knew that this was not the type of music he listened to. Still, there was something about her face, the way her long raven locks fell elegantly around her face which moved him.

Aki couldn't wait more than five minutes before impulsively using his credit card to buy a stack of five new cds, including the one with the girl and her harp. The remainder of his selections were from demon rock bands entirely new to him. He spent the next twenty minutes listening to everything he could. Not even Itoe could get him to move from the spot, so she resigned herself to browsing. Various other customers streamed in and out of the shop at random.

Aki wasn't paying the least bit of attention when the shop bell rang again. This time, a tall blue-haired woman wearing fashionable diamond encrusted skirt, blue calf leather boots, and a matching cerulean silk blouse entered. She did not bother to look at the merchandise. Instead, she walked directly up to the cash register. As soon as Itoe caught sight of her, she hissed and slunk into the corners.

As Desiree reached the counter, she flicked open a wallet containing a badge. Without pause, she demanded, "I'm looking for a customer of yours by the name of Aki Hara. Do you know where he is?" The demoness glanced around the store interior, trying to judge by their reactions if any of the current customers were Aki. Her eyes lingered on Aki's head but his hair had gone long just this afternoon and his face was obscured. He was lost in his own world listening to the music station. Desiree's eyes flickered back to meet the shopkeeper's.

Meanwhile, Itoe had gone into a panic. She had heard everything. The sight of the badge had driven her into an absolute frenzy. She slunk along the back shelves and grabbed hold of the half-demon's arm. With a violent tug, Aki toppled from view and found himself upon his back. Itoe's emerald eyes flashed once in warning and she pressed a long finger to his lips.

"Shh!" She glared at him.

Author Notes: I'm going to be working/traveling again starting tomorrow so I dunno when I'll next post. Hopefully not too long. Thank you for reading! Spoilers if you want 'em for Chapter 103: The Hunted- Aki's not gonna let himself be caught so easily. Itoe is more than just an innocent kitsune. And the girl with harp is not as sugary sweet as she appears on the cover. See ya!


	103. Chapter 103

Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha. That's probably a good thing for the sake of the furniture and my deposit. This chapter makes reference to chapter 33.

_**Recap**_

As Desiree reached the counter, she flicked open a wallet containing a badge. Without pause, she demanded, "I'm looking for a customer of yours by the name of Aki Hara. Do you know where he is?" The demoness glanced around the store interior, trying to judge by their reactions if any of the current customers were Aki. Her eyes lingered on Aki's head but his hair had gone long just this afternoon and his face was obscured. He was lost in his own world listening to the music station. Desiree's eyes flickered back to meet the shopkeeper's.

Meanwhile, Itoe panicked. She had heard everything. The sight of the badge had driven her into an absolute frenzy. She slunk along the back shelves and grabbed hold of the half-demon's arm. With a violent tug, Aki toppled from view and found himself upon his back. Itoe's emerald eyes flashed once in warning and she pressed a long finger to his lips.

"Shh!" She glared at him.

**Chapter ****103: The Hunted**

Aki Hara lay silently on the floor of the music shop, watching Itoe as she remained huddled beside him. For her, it was a natural pose, her long legs contorting painlessly it seemed as her ears pricked forward toward the speaking demoness. For Aki, even though he was now demon it was uncomfortable to be laying a hard, stone-cold floor. He felt infinitely grateful when Itoe snatched his hand and guided him across the back shelves with a swaying, stealthy slink suited to a kitsune. Aki had to be careful not to rear-end his nose into her haunches, something which well endowed as she was, struck him as very unappealing. As they reached the end of the hallway these shelves created, both gazed at the glass doors of the exit longingly.

Then, Aki felt a warm mist rise around him. The fog consumed him as Itoe's hand clasped his to guide him into a pink, sugary cloud. The doors flung themselves open before them, and Aki looked back once more. The badge carrying demoness and the shopkeeper were both looking their way but they did not seem to actually see them. They did notice however when every security device, including the entranceway camcorders and two large security panels on the doorway sizzled, leaving an angry resin-filled smoke. Itoe fled, Aki tugged along behind her like a fish at the end of a line, out the doorway and onto the trafficked street. The warm cloud evaporated as they met the chill street air, but the spell cast had been sufficient in buying them a few moments.

The simple mistake of Desiree not recognizing Aki had cost her dearly, for Itoe used this time to pull Aki onto her back and run. They raced full out through the streets and toward the underground mall exit. Itoe bypassed the glass doors they had entered and this time leapt into a gate which seemed to glow molten as the sun.

To his startlement, Aki felt himself begin to float upwards. His hands drifted buoyantly upwards like balloons. He floated completely away from Itoe and gasped, wondering if he would drown in this strange sea he found himself in.

But the sensation ended and his feet touched downward on the top of the glassy pool which materialized under him. He looked around and found the images of a large park coming into focus. The mystical light vanished.

Aki looked all around him one more. Then, one foot moved to step out of a small European styled fountain. He noticed, with some amusement, that no water clung to his feet from having done so. But there was no time for resting.

"Come on Aki." The boy-turned-hanyou redirected his attention toward Itoe, whom was looking pale and frightened. The human faux of herself was trembling. Aki might have felt sorry for her, might have offered her comfort, but he kept his hands to himself. A look of disappointment flashed upon Itoe's face, but she strengthened. The gaze he laid upon her called for leadership.

"This way, Aki," she said more firmly this time. "How fast can you run?"

Soon, the vision of the world surrounding them grew blurry as Itoe led Aki into an all out run, bounding over hedges and vaulting one-handed over lofty barricades. The park was no more than a half acre in space. It was not long before they were twisting through alleys and clattering over dumpsters.

Itoe stopped abruptly and led them into a small bakery. Seemingly senselessly, she bought a small bag of stale rolls for one yen and then made a request of the employee keeping store. She took the time it took for him to bend under the counter to clasp Aki's hand.

A blink flew by and with a single bound the employee's-only door opened and closed silently for them. Together they cut through the floury kitchen and emerged into the dank alley behind. Then, sniffing the air briefly, Itoe worked her way back towards their starting place at a slower pace.

"You're going back into the mall. Are you crazy?"

"Trust me; I know what I'm doing. She's already been through here."

"How do you know?"

"I can feel it. Besides, can't you smell?" Itoe pressed a pained hand to the side of her ribcage while Aki tested the air for himself. There was an energy here, and it tasted almost angry.

"All right. I'll take your word on this."

The fountain they had exited seemed ordinary, innocent. But when they stood upon it, Itoe and Aki sunk down into the pool and it levitated the two towards the gate they had so recently entered. Before they exited however, Itoe pulled on Aki's concealing bracelet, drawing his attention to it.

"Say the word, Aki."

"What?"

"Make the concealing spell go away! They know what you look like as a human! Be sure to press the engraving first."

"All right. Miko!" The bracelet lit up with a small greenish glow and then went back into lifelessness. Aki's newfound ears resprouted.

"Miko? Was that the best word you could come up with? I mean we're already being hunted enough as it is here!"

"Sorry, I somehow felt that somebody might appreciate it. It is better than ramen."

"You are a sad, strange demon man."

"Half-demon," Aki cheerfully corrected. Itoe saw no point in arguing with him. Instead she turned off her own charm and used her own powers to shift form. This time, it was of the appearance of a tawny full-blooded dog demon.

Aki gapped. The fox demoness had transformed herself into a tall, perhaps middle-aged demoness bedecked with a silk kimono and fine jewels. The sleek, velvety fur around her perfectly triangular ears was disturbingly alluring to Aki. Itoe, on her part, was as calm as the shrubbery. She looked disdainfully about the mall interior, then sniffed arrogantly.

"Come along, son we have to get going. Father is probably throwing a fit right now over dinner." Her request was met by a small snicker.

"So that's where I get my bad looks from."

"Hush, hush. We need to pick up a new bottle of Obscurity for you son, your aura is leaking everywhere! We wouldn't want something bad to happen to you!"

"Nah-ah," Aki responded with exaggeration.

"Here, use some of mine for now," said Itoe producing a small vial from her coat as she scolded him, "and for gods sake, Aki, don't be so careless with your things!"

"Yes Ma'am." Aki quickly fell into the role and was actually enjoying it. He spritzed himself dutifully and his own robust aura vanished as it was sealed on the surface of flesh.

The dread panic of their run was replaced with impatient tension. For several minutes Itoe led them around the mall, pretending to windowshop. Aki's nerves screamed with impatience. Then his breath rose in a gust of relief as they strolled through yet another glass doorway and into the above-ground human portion of the mall. The many stores of Aki's childhood recollections quickly surrounded him once more.

After his harrowing experience, Aki did not need reminder that he keep his tell-tale ears out of sight. Since his cap had blown away in their flight, all that he could do was to press them low to his head. Fortunately, they blended neatly into his hair.

They got on a different bus at the terminal and then, a commuter train. Aki was perplexed by this but he kept silent until he could see another district of Tokyo out the window. He gave Itoe a sharp jab with his elbow.

"Itoe, you know this isn't the right way to my family's apartment."

"You aren't going home," Itoe put in simply, "you can't ever go home now. They're looking for you."

"What?"

"That was the Huntress, Desiree. She only tracks down big criminals."

"How do you know about it?"

"Cut the disbelief, Aki. If you want to go home that's your business. If not, you had better steal some clothes." Aki blinked and thought about it a minute.

"All right," he decided finally, "I will."

As usual, the commuter was so packed with people that there was little room left for movement. The line they were on serviced many of the adult population on their way back and forth between work and home. For this reason, Aki could not find anything but briefcases and kiddies backpacks which he might steal. The ride came to an unsuccessful close. Scowling and pouting, he walked out of the commuter onto the waiting platform. Itoe joined him and with a scowl to match his own, shooed him onto yet another commuter train. The thread of cars shot like bullets along the track and they slung over and beneath suspended highways. Ultimately, they left Tokyo's center and the train took them to a more historic, residential section far from the high-rise sector. Aki's heart sickeningly beat once and his nose pressed to the glass as the locket around his neck began to pulse like a beeper.

"Itoe, we need to get off this train."

"Why, Aki?"

"Because I said so that's why! Let's get off at the next stop."

"Fine. But remember…"

Itoe let her words drawl off but Aki got the message. He glanced around him and saw a brunette boy a few years older than himself whom had too much baggage to be a regular commuter. He was listening to an Ipod so attentively that he took no note of Aki's foot as it kicked his outdoor sporting backpack halfway across the train. Itoe picked it up helpfully and kept it for herself.

When the train rolled to a fluid stop, Itoe and Aki rushed out of the station to view their spoils. Inside, there were exactly five carefully pressed outfits, ten pairs of socks, and well, you know, briefs. Both Itoe and Aki threw the undergarments away without having to collaborate but it was what was in the front pocket that most held their interest. Their golden jackpot was a credit card and 2,000 Japanese yen. It was enough for Aki to buy some small provisions for himself.

"Good," Itoe breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's you taken care of."

Aki, meanwhile, was still searching the billfold. "Look at this, Itoe. That loser left his student Id in there too. It says, "Hojo."

"So?"

"I don't know. I just hate that name somehow."

"Come on Aki. Aki?"

Aki's attention had already shifted to something else. The locket had continued to beat strangely and now, it seemed to lead him once again, this time to the west.

"Itoe, I know it's crazy but we need to go this way."

"Why?"

"I dunno, why did I turn half-demon? It just seems right somehow."

"Okay."

They found a likely looking roadway and followed its trek westward. Along the way, Aki did some minor shopping, including the purchase of three pairs of boxers. He deliberately choose the ones with the words "bad-ass" written on them. Then, since Aki felt remorse for the theft, he stopped by Higurashi Shrine to pray and throw the rest of the stolen money in the offerings box. Itoe simply wasn't able to talk him out of it.

The evening sun was setting as they approached a large monastery. The building looked weathered and the gardens slightly unkempt. Tree-sized azaleas shaded out the dimming light, casting the landscape into a thousand patterned shadows. Mysterious hollows abounded appealing both to a sense of adventure- or fear.

For Aki, it was both. The silent darkness called out him in the sing-song sway of leaves, but then, here in the night there was a mysterious element he had never been exposed to as a human. An eerie saturation of vapor wend itself around all places, crowning the roofline with a shimmering blue. Even as a newborn to life as one with demonic-abilities, his senses screamed at him to beware. Here, hidden within the ancient structure a great being had taken up sanctuary. Itoe clung to Aki's sleeve like a madman.

"Aki," she mumbled barely coherently, "this is the great Shippo-sama's! This is Shippo-sama's!"

"Shippo, Smipo," Aki brushed her off arrogantly. "I seriously don't see why you're so scared of him."

"You must be joking," Itoe said eyes blanched wide. "Not only is he rich and influential beyond your wildest dreams he's the highest ranked kitsune in existence. He's even come up with magics no one else has before. Some say," and here her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "he has even found a way to make himself invisible- really, truly invisible."

"Oh come on," Aki snorted, "Even if you say all that he's still just a kitsune."

"Oh? And what do you know about that?" Itoe spoke in a menacing rancor.

"Not much," said Aki. Itoe blinked, dumbstruck.

"Ha! You thought I'd deny it, didn't you? You know Itoe, I have wised up some over the years."

"I suppose that's a good thing."

"If it means keepin' my hide intact, then yeah. But no matter what you do or say I'm goin' in there."

"Why," his companion gaped, pointing a finger to the roofline as if it were a lofty tournament on a far away mountain, "would you want to go in there!" Aki shrugged.

"Something's nagging at me to do so." Itoe bit her lip nervously.

"All right, I guess I can't stop you. But we have to be careful, all right?"

"Yes." The eerie, shadowy azaleas became allies as they cast their secretive dark upon the fugatives.


	104. Chapter 104

_**Sesshomaru-**_ (Inuyasha's elder brother, the reigning Taiyoukai and founder of Takahashi Enterprises.)

_**Shippo-**_ (Co-founder of Kitsune Corporation. Resident of a large temple and current possessor of the Tetsusiaga.)

**Yasuo-** (Inuyasha's second child. Sesshomaru's nephew and active spy for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Kiku-**_ (A green-haired bat demoness whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services. Her quirks are dying her hair pink and chasing after Yasuo's affections, despite the fact that Yasuo is the boss's nephew and her spy partner.)

_**Itoe**__-_ (a kitsune/ fellow student of Aki's)

_**Aki**__-_ (A boy who just found out he's not human anymore, and possibly much more)

_**Michiko Shirai-**_ (Singer/song writer/ and musician in her all-female band, Lover's Kiss. Her name means beautiful and wise.)

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Inuyasha, do you? Any similarity to any real or historical persons is unintentional. I'm going for original characters here, outside of the Inuyasha character cast that is.

**Recap-** _The evening sun was setting as they approached a large monastery. The building looked weathered and the gardens slightly unkempt. Tree-sized azaleas shaded out the dimming light, casting the landscape into a thousand patterned shadows. Mysterious hollows abounded appealing both to a sense of adventure- or fear._

_For Aki, it was both. The silent darkness called out him in the sing-song sway of leaves, but then, here in the night there was a mysterious element he had never been exposed to as a human. An eerie saturation of vapor wend itself around all places, crowning the roofline with a shimmering blue. Even as a newborn to life as one with demonic-abilities, his senses screamed at him to beware. Here, hidden within the ancient structure a great being had taken up sanctuary. Itoe clung to Aki's sleeve like a madman._

"_Aki," she mumbled barely coherently, "this is the great Shippo-sama's! This is Shippo-sama's!"_

**Chapter 104: For the Love of a Blade**

Aki Hara's ears twitched once, twice and then remained as motionless as he lay in a cluster of azaleas staring upwards at a temple lit only by tiny crescent of the moon. Though soundless, the locket at his neck continued to pulse. Aki waited for a moment more only, allowing his gold glowing eyes to soak in its sensory of night, before standing up with loud sigh. The revelation of himself cause Itoe to panic.

"Aki! You can't just let yourself be seen like that!" The young fox demoness clasped hold of Aki's sleeve in a vie to restrain him. However, Aki only tore his sleeve away.

"We can't just stand here all night. I'm going!" Itoe gasped.

Aki meanwhile, used his foot and the dull roar which lived in his veins to push off from the ground and catapult himself thirty feet in the air, onto a steep rise of the temple's rooftop. A dig of his claws brought his momentum-filled slide to an abrupt stop and Aki surveyed the temple's layout. From here, he could clearly see a door, outlined clearly by refracted moonlight. Like a true ghost, he fell silently from the temple's eves to land beside Itoe.

"I can see the way in."

"Don't speak nonsense," said Itoe wrinkling her nose in irritation. "Shippo-sama is a kitsune. His territory is a concealed space. It won't be found just by walking through a doorway."

"Oh yeah? What do you suggest then?"

"Be patient for a while. We need to find the kitsune gate."

"The kitsune gate?"

"Yes. I expect his looks like a wall of fire. Shippo-sama is a five-tailed kitsune, and very powerful. All a one-tail like me can do is to make a small ring." Itoe sighed enviously.

"Tsck. There isn't a time for weakling complaints. Just find the gateway so we can get in."

"So bossy."

"Yeah, yeah. Get looking."

"Hmn." Itoe narrowed her eyes angrily at Aki, then abandoned her wrath in favor of an amused smile. Flicking her tail once, she called a whisp of crackling flames to her hand and began to pace with them.

"Why are you laughing?" said Aki glaring up at her from all fours. He suddenly became aware of the fact that he was squatting in order to sit as a dog does. An embarrassed flush colored his cheeks as he jumped upright.

"Damn. Think it's funny do you?" Itoe ignored him and began humming.

"Keh. Fine then. Since I've already come this far…"

Without finishing the thought, Aki lowered his twitching nose to the soil. He inhaled softly and a goofy grin spread across his face as he experimented with his newfound ability.

"Ew," said Itoe flicking her tail. "I hate it when dogs sniff. What are you trying to accomplish?"

"I smell fox. Lots of it. This soil by the door positively reeks of it. I'm going in."

Aki twisted the handle to the door and it swung open. After walking into an empty room, he crossed his arms and scowled.

"Nothing. I smell absolutely no kitsune in here. Besides you." Itoe growled lightly.

"This is strange. I'm certain the gateway should be around here but my fire isn't reacting. If I can't find the gateway I can't unseal it."

"Damn!" Aki paced, wrapping the chain of his locket in his hand. "I'm so close, I can feel it!" Itoe eyed the locket speculatively.

"I wonder if there is an remnant magic of Shippo-sama's in that chain. Can I see it?"

"No," said Aki holding it guardedly.

"I just want to touch it once. Here, put this Buddhist sutra to its face. If it can absorb some of the magic, it can lead us to Shippo-sama's territory."

"Why is it you have Buddhist sutras?"

"For my own safety," Itoe said leaving no room for commentary. "Hold out the locket." Aki begrudgingly complied and Itoe slapped a thick card of paper against it.

"Let's try it!" she said pulling the sutra away from the locket so that its letters glowed. She tossed it high into the air only for it to purposefully swoop backwards to paste itself on Aki's forehead.

"Oops. Sorry about that. Let's try again. Here we go!" This time the sutra rose up into the air and flew away out the door and into the horizon. Aki and Itoe gave up chase when they saw it zip off into the skyline of Tokyo. Itoe's eyebrow twitched.

"How odd. But I'm not ready to give up yet. Lucky for me I have several."

"Oh, yeah, right. Like it's going to work this time." Itoe ignored him.

"Show us the gate, power of the kitsune lord!" Itoe whispered dramatically as the sutra once again took flight only to plaster itself on thin air. This time, its sibling magic reacted. A wall of flames appeared before them, and Aki and Itoe found themselves tossed about in the gale of a blue storm.

"Hold on, Aki!" Itoe cried summoning a huge fireball of her own magic. She cast it.

The wall of flames wavered, but did not burst or coalesce into a doorway. Itoe choked with fear and disappointment. Aki meanwhile, was too busy dwelling on his own thoughts to pay notice. The locket at his neck was searing and a small flash of light emitted from it briefly. Then, through the flames, Aki saw a glint of light soaring towards him. Instinctively, he held out his hands and gasped at the sheathed blade he now held in his hands. Around him, the fierce storm was subsiding and he gracefully landed on his feet. Itoe, however was not so fortunate.

"Ow," the female kitsune said rubbing her backside. She stiffened immediately on seeing what was in Aki's hand.

"The Tetsusiaga! The treasure sword of the Takahashi! Did we come here to steal that?"

"Apparently," said Aki gazing at the sword fondly. It gave a warm pulse in his hand like to his locket before the locket shuttered to a stop and lay dim.

"You know," said Itoe almost proudly. "You are turning out to be quite a partner in crime."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's get out of here." Itoe nodded.

The exterior door was hanging open on its hinges, just as Aki had left it. However, when he and Itoe looked outside a heavy mist had consumed temple, eliminating even the barest of visibility. Itoe cringed behind Aki's shoulder, flickering her own ears toward the mire.

"This mist… isn't natural," she whined in a concerned tone. Her fur of her tail stood on end.

"I know. It's sensing us."

"What are we going to do?" Aki's only reply was to unsheath Tetsusiaga. Fluidily, naturally, as if he had done it a thousand times before he held it out before him and watched as it transformed into a glowing fang. Aki, the boy only recently turned hanyou, lifted the legendary sword toward the heavens. It swooped.

Itoe fell to her knees and clung to the ground as the gigantic blast subsided. Before them, the dense cube of air was rift by streaks like giant clawmarks. Within the shifting remains of mist, a beast emerged.

Its paws alone towered to the far reaches of eyesight. Its head existed like a ceiling above, its unfurling tails like whole rivers. Itoe gasped and grasped hold of Aki's shoulder so that she could force him to hear her.

"It is Shippo-sama," Itoe hissed vehmenently. "Whatever you do, don't stand and fight. Run, Aki, run. It is our only chance." Aki slapped her hand away. Wordlessly, he left the doorway to stroll into the drifting fog.

"I'm claiming this sword for my own, demon. Do you have a problem with that?" The demon narrowed its eyes at him and began to growl out words in a deep gutteral voice.

"The true inheritor of the sword is expected. Yet you still have to prove your worth. If I crush you, surely you are not the true heir. If you defeat me, the sword shall rightfully be yours. Beware, the price of your loss is death."

"It sounds fair to me," said Aki Hara raising his sword.

Meanwhile, halfway across town the real Shippo Takahashi was suffering from a tingling sensation in his left ear. He covered his left eye and cursed when he saw what was transpiring outside his temple several kilometers away.

"Shit. Inuyasha's reincarnation showed up sooner than I expected. Who ever thought he would willingly make friends with a kitsune?"

Shippo lay his undrunken, doubly caffeinated latte on the top of one of the municipal trash cans and pulled out his cellphone. Punching in the speed dial, he connected almost instantaneously with Sesshomaru.

"Pull every one of your men off their search and send them to me, Uncle! He's at my house! Worse, he already has Tetsusiaga."

"So the boy really is my brother's reincarnation."

"Yup. There can't be any doubt about it. Bye." Shippo hated to do it since Sesshomaru disapproved of being hung up on but he snapped his phone shut. Now was the time for action, not polite formalities. This was something which his cherished adoptive father, Inuyasha, had taught him.

With a heavy sigh formed from fond memories of the past, Shippo ducked into an alley and untransformed so that his tall human form reverted into a slightly shorter humanoid fox demon. Even among his own kind and grown, Shippo was marked by his good looks but small stature. Notwithstanding, he scaled the wall in a few energy-filled bursts and landed on the surface of the rooftop. Then, directing his nose to the east he began to speed towards the place where Aki and his illusionary self were fighting.

Back at the temple, Aki Hara panted and lifted his sword's tip so that his chest was properly guarded. His eyes roved and his ears perked searching for any signal. Itoe waited, fingers crossed and heart clenched as she watched Aki fighting.

So far, Aki had demonstrated remarkable stamina for an untrained hanyou. He managed to evade the five-tailed kitsune's lunged attacks. Still, even to her equally untrained eye it was apparent that Aki was sloppy. He was using only a few moves suited to introductory kendo. Things might turn poorly if the demon he was dodging suddenly resorted to his magic.

As if to prove the validity of her thoughts, the kitsune raised its muzzle as well as its five tails. The tips of each began to charge with gold energy. Itoe knew there was only a short time before each sphere could be used as a blast. Leaping into the fray, she shoved her full weight onto Aki's shoulder. This, the half-demon was not expecting so he fell.

"Damn it, Itoe! What is it now!"

"Run, fool, run! Stay within my barrier. If even one of those blasts hits us we'll be killed."

"That's true," a lively voice said from behind them. Itoe blanched as she saw the speaker; also what the speaker had done.

The owner of the voice was none other than a male fox demon. He held himself firmly with a sense of authority. Itoe's eyes slanted backwards toward the demon they were fighting, then the humanoid demon before them.

"So the demon Aki's been fighting is no more than an illusion. You're the real Shippo-sama." Shippo shrugged.

"You're right of course," he said removing a small lollipop from its wrapper and popping it into his mouth so that the stick hung out like a cigarette. "Since you figured it out I'll let you in on a little secret. Most illusions are little more than a picture or maybe even a physical extension of one's youkai. A skilled illusionist, however, can even transfer some of their energy to its illusion. The demon you've been fighting isn't quote unquote real, but if one of my blasts hit you, you'll still be just as dead." Aki snarled.

"Damn you. What is it you've done to us?"

"That? Relax, Aki Hara. Your friend Itoe Negishi's idea to use a barrier to defend herself was an excellent last stand. However, it doesn't change the fact that she had focused all her energy toward the front, making it easy to breech. I just extended my youkai to keep you immobile, that's all."

"Damn you to hell."

"Please, Aki Hara. You're making me feel like I'm impersonating Naraku or something. I do not mean you or your friend any harm. The Tetsusiaga is yours to take. On one condition."

"What would that be?" Shippo knawed on his lollipop thoughtfully.

"I want you to find the reincarnation of your former life's mate. I need her to release a seal from a demon."

"No chance," said Aki Hara struggling. "I don't know what you're talking about but I'm not releasing any demons." Unanticipated by any of them, the sword in his hand pulsed and transformed into the Dragon-scaled Tetsusiaga. Shippo clenched his chest in pain as the sword began to absorb his extended youkai. He had no choice but to sever his entrapment. Before he could speak, Aki began to run, Itoe fleeing alongside him.

"Damn it Inuyasha! Why are you so stubborn! You are as bad in this life as you were in the last!" Aki's ears twitched at the words of the irate kitsune but he did not stop running. He and Itoe disappeared across the rooftops on the horizon.

"Damn it," Shippo swore and fell to his knees panting. A hand reached down and he looked at it, astounded by its presence. He grasped hold of it and was hauled to his feet.

"So. He has become Tetususiaga's master once again," said Sesshomaru looking off to the horizon.

"…"

"Yeah."

A few miles distance across the rooftops, Aki slid to a wearied halt. His abused lungs rasped while Itoe looked at him somewhat superiorly.

"You did pretty well for a young pup," she purred.

"Stupid fox demon," Aki growled back at her.

"Humph. Well that was fun. What do you want to steal next? After hiding that is."

"You make it sound like you're a regular crook."

"Humph. Well, never mind that. We need to get to my burrow. I still have your clothes in my bag so we're all set for a while."

"…"

"You want me to stay with YOU? Are you out of your mind?"

"Be grateful for my generosity Aki Hara. I just saved your life you know."

"Granted. Just please tell me you have video games."

"I could arrange something along those lines." An unfocused silence fell between them.

"That was some weird thing," said Aki Hara ruffling his now-long hair wearily. "Everything about today's been out of whack but an epic battle with a demon is a bit much."

"You need pizza. We're in luck. I have just enough cash for takeout."

"Hmn." Aki perked up.

"Wait a minute. Do you know where my cds went?"

"Oh those. You gave them to me when you weren't paying attention. They're in my bag with the rest of your stuff." Itoe ruffled around in the bag until she found them.

"Here," she said handing them off. "The Jagged Fang… Elemental Howl… Molten Lightning… Hell's Doorway and," Itoe paused flipping one of his cds over to read its cover.

"Lover's Kiss," Itoe said blinking in surprise. "I never thought you would listen to something like this, Aki Hara. Michiko Shirai is one of my all-time favorite artists." Aki growled and snatched the cd from her hand.

"Mind your own business."

"Relax, Aki Hara. I'm just commenting. Besides, if you are a fan you would be interested to know she is holding a concert this weekend." Aki's ears twitched.

"Huh?"

"You know, I already bought a ticket for myself months ago. I'd be happy to sneak you in using my magic. That way I could have company."

"Tsck. It doesn't matter to me any. I'm not a fan. I've never even heard her sing."

"No? Then why did you buy her cd?" Aki looked as far away from Itoe as possible and shrugged.

"Oh I see. You have a crush. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

"I do not have a crush!"

"Sure. A rock metal band loving boy just so happens to like pop girl groups as well."

Aki glared and might have said something more but the expression on Itoe's face changed dramatically. Her protagonistic manner changed to anger interlaced with fear, her shoulders rising to bunch in an offensive ball. All but the earth she was standing on began to crackle.

"Aki, look out!" Itoe yelled and a wall of fur collided with Aki only to push him off into the safety of the sky. Looking down, he could see his feet as well as what were obviously Itoe's paws. She circled around and flew over two diminutive streaks before of the two figures rose. A bright blob of bubblegum pink melted to green a few moments before Kiku slammed into Itoe, bodily forcing her to the ground.

"Damn it, kitsune! Do you know how many times I have to keep dying my hair!" Kiku scrapped just before rising to her feet. The bat demoness's wings rustled furiously behind her. "Stop running kid. You're under arrest for theft." Aki wuffed and kicked himself free of Itoe's animalistic form. He found himself holding the rapt attention of not just one but two members of what he could only guess were law enforcement.

"We stole what?" Aki Hara said standing up to his full high and facing down the agents.

Aki's eyes shifted over the first of the twosome. She was an adult with eyes so intense they seemed to bleed fire. Long strands of green hair tumbled down her back like a lion's mane, and her clothes were nothing short of skimpy with a military arsenal strapped to it. Aki gleaned the sense that the demoness was looking forward eagerly to the moment she could pounce down on her prey-in this case themselves.

As to the second of the pair, he was also an elder to either himself or Itoe. The stance he held was cold, aloft, but his face of was one of bewilderment and confusion. Aki saw his chance.

A running start saw Aki off like a shot. He bounded up, then nearer to the ground so that his sword smashed into the ground where an opponent should have been. A short ceremonial blade appeared, catching Aki's. Two swords rang tremulously, their smooth bell turning into an indignant whine. Aki's eyes gazed deep into that of his opponent's. They were diliated wide with more than just astonishment- a complicated mixture of love, fear, and sorrow.

Seeing the conflicting emotions, Aki shook his head and pushed off on his feet so that he flew backwards. He rolled to bring him within the sights of Itoe. As he knew she would, Itoe had taken advantage of brief moment of distraction to right herself and was currently crouching combatively several feet from Kiku. Aki placed himself in front of the kitsune and swept downwards with his empowered sword and all hell broke loose.

"The Windscar!" Yasuo yelled ran forward toward the blaze. Panicked, he threw his own sword forged from a fang in front of Kiku, deflecting its tracts. Kiku, meanwhile, continued the backwards glide she had begun when Aki had let loose his sword. With a soft beat, her feet landed nimbly just beyond the range of the Windscar where Yasuo stood. Wordlessly, he walked up beside her and draped his arms around her from behind.

"Hey soldier boy," Kiku said softly slanting an eye towards him.

"I always tell you not to call me that dammit."

"I know," Kiku muttered. "Thanks for worrying about me." She turned and pressed a soft kiss to Yasuo's cheek.

"Aki," said Itoe as she and Aki Hara ran full out through the back alleys of Tokyo. "Why didn't you give up to them? Why didn't you wait or listen to what they had to say? You're even more of a criminal now." Aki took a moment to dwell on the thought of being a criminal even to youkai society.

"I can't let them have the locket back, or the sword. I would rather die than have this locket taken from me. For some reason it isn't beating anymore. It's singing."

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"When I found this locket, before it turned me into what I am now, and before it lead me to the sword, it belonged to me. I could hear its pulse reaching out spilling into me and the Tetsusiaga. Now, it sings for someone else. There is a second soul trapped inside, I just know it. I can hear its heartbeat faintly."

"Souls don't sing and they don't have a heartbeat either."

"I know they don't. It's because… she's alive."

"Whom is alive?"

"The second burial at the Tomb of the Late Honorable Ruler."

Next Time- Aki gets the girl! Again.


	105. Chapter 105

_**Sesshomaru-**_ (Inuyasha's elder brother, the reigning Taiyoukai and founder of Takahashi Enterprises.

**Yasuo-** (Inuyasha's second child. Sesshomaru's nephew and active spy for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Kiku-**_ (A green-haired bat demoness whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services. Her quirks are dying her hair pink and chasing after Yasuo's affections, despite the fact that Yasuo is the boss's nephew and her spy partner.)

_**Riku–**_ (A diminutive priestess whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services. Her primary weapon is a staff with bells on it; her partner is Kyo.)

_**Kyo-**_ (a black panther demon with piercing yellow eyes and buff arms whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Desiree**__-_ (An elegant, French speaking demoness whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Itoe**__-_ (A kitsune/ fellow student of Aki's.)

_**Aki**__-_ (A boy who just found out he's not human anymore, and possibly much more.)

_**Michiko-**_ (Singer/song writer/ and musician in her all-female band, Lover's Kiss. Her name means beautiful and wise.)

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Inuyasha, do you? Any similarity to any real or historical persons is unintentional. I'm going for original characters here, outside of the Inuyasha character cast that is. Lover's Kiss does not reference any real band of course, but the song "Spectator to the Moon" was written by myself specifically for this story. I invite you to play it. It's so pretty and sprightly!

**Recap-** _"Aki," said Itoe as she and Aki Hara ran full out through the back alleys of Tokyo. "Why didn't you give up to them? Why didn't you wait or listen to what they had to say? You're even more of a criminal now." Aki took a moment to dwell on the thought of being a criminal even to youkai society._

"_I can't let them have the locket back, or the sword. I would rather die than have this locket taken from me. For some reason it isn't beating anymore. It's singing."_

"_What? I have no idea what you're talking about."_

"_When I found this locket, before it turned me into what I am now, and before it lead me to the sword, it belonged to me. I could hear its pulse reaching out spilling into me and the Tetsusiaga. Now, it sings for someone else. There is a second soul trapped inside, I just know it. I can hear its heartbeat faintly."_

"_Souls don't sing and they don't have a heartbeat either."_

"_I know they don't. It's because… she's alive."_

**Chapter 105: Soulmate**

Michiko Shirai lifted a tube of shiny lipgloss to her lips. Then, with tiny deft strokes, she applied it. Her playful pucker turned into an experimental smile.

A pair of expensive heels clicked and a short skirt rustled. The barest of a giggle escaped her breath and a bracelet shifted, dangling on a slim and beautiful arm. Michiko turned.

There, before her in the largest vanity stood the reflection of herself- a young but pretty teenager. Long locks of ebony spilled around her shoulders like a halo, while soulful eyes of brown sparkled, overflowing with mirth until gentleness assumed its place. Her quiet heart pounded soundly. Quite suddenly, like the trill of a bird cutting into the silence of a meadow, the girl's voice arose with speech like loving melody.

"You can come in now, Megumi, I'm finished dressing. I love the new outfit you made for me." A curtain off-hand rustled and an older woman emerged.

"I knew you would, Michiko. Short skirts are your favorite. But I've added a few new styles to the line-up. You need excitement if you hope to sell out this season's concerts."

"I know," Michiko said thoughtfully. "Thank you for all your work." She bowed, and both went their separate ways.

Michiko made her way to the nearest vending machine, with the location "Sunriser Recording Studio" stamped onto a metal plate in the corner. She put two coins in and waited until a flavored water made its alarming tumble into the dropbox. Crouching skillfully on her heels, Michiko tipped the plastic door to the dropbox back and the vending machine relinquished its captive drink. Michiko stood and wandered to another section of the studio, prize in hand.

"Sara," Michiko said pushing back one of the doors adjacent to a recording station. "Sara, are you in here?" She entered a small cubicle-like room cluttered with paperwork. A large control panel made up of a hundred mysterious knobs, levers, and dials spanned the girth of the room, above a wall of glass, but squished in the dimmest, most claustrophobic corner to be had a diminutive desk, little wider than a child's schooldesk had been added. It was here that a woman with short-bobbed hair worked, her pen scrawling at an incredible pace.

"Sara," Michiko repeated. The woman raised a hand and waved at her to wait. After a few seconds more of determined penscratch, she tucked the ballpoint into her hair.

"Michiko. What are you doing here? Your last recording session was two days ago. I thought you were supposed to have today off." Michiko shrugged.

"Yeah, I know but I feel restless for some reason. I haven't been sleeping well since I arrived here in Tokyo."

"Hmn. Sounds like nerves. You must be eager for your next tour to begin. How was Kyoto?"

"It was wonderful," said Michiko seating herself on a padded stool. "My family and I took a vacation together. We did a lot."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Well, we toured a convention for starters. Afterwards, we went to a hotsprings resort."

"How's your sister?"

"She's doing well. She's recovered completely from her surgery. I'm really grateful."

"It was a minor procedure, wasn't it? Nothing to get anxious over."

"I know. I wasn't too worried over it but I'm happy to see her feeling better. She smiles a lot more now that it's over."

"I see. Well, since you're here, do you want me to show you the stage where we'll be recording the visuals for your music video?"

"Sure."

"Please do me a favor then and help me carry these boxes to the storage vault. We can drop them off on the way."

"Okay.

Michiko picked up a small box and dutifully followed the footsteps of Sara. She used her keys to open a small, carefully conditioned room where they stored the boxes. Sara locked the room and they moved on again.

"The remodeling job came out really well. I especially love the new oak flooring. The last floor had taken on a lot of damage from mishaps. That's the last time I let Jagged Fang record indoors. For some odd reason they thought it a good idea to use real fire for lighting."

"It's beautiful in here."

"Yup. Well, take a look around, Michiko. I need to head back to my main office now, so I'll be there if you need me. Remind your manager to call me if you see him." Michiko nodded and smiled.

"All right."

Sara's footsteps faded away, leaving Michiko to her own devises. The girl cast her gaze upwards, then hefted herself up the side of the stage. She paced, then stared down into an nonexistent audience. Her eyes trembled with emotion.

"For some odd reason, my heart is overwhelmed with happiness," Michiko said fiddling with the flower pendant at her neck. "I've always loved performing but now that feeling is stronger than ever. It is as though my heart is singing… singing out its love for someone. I wonder if I'll ever find that special person someday." Michiko's eyes widened as the realization of what she said hit her and she shook her head vigorously.

"No, no! I'm sure I'm just being silly! What I'm really feeling is love for my audience. I'm blessed to sell enough records to be a musician."

Feeling the moment, Michiko unzipped her purse and pulled out the sheet of the new song she had working on. In an imitation of Sara, she tucked a pen behind her ear and began to sing out the words she had already chosen. They reverberated, throwing back at her from the edge of the empty room.

"Two lovers meet. Entwined by time and the moon. Lost within this fairy tale. Lost within you. Don't wake, baby, don't wake. Stay at my fingertips. Don't wake. We can make the moon ours." A puzzled expression crossed Michiko's features and she drew down the pen to nibble the end of it.

"Ours. Our own. Live within the moon. No! That's all wrong." She took her pen and visciously scribbled out the word "ours". Michiko sighed.

"Oh well. Maybe some lunch will help me figure it out." She put both paper and pen away and began to walk out of the room. At door, she turned and looked back for one last glance. Curiously her hand covered her heart as though there were someone to pledge to.

"I promise you," Michiko said almost giddily. "I'll do my best to find you." A light blush colored her cheeks as she blew a kiss to her invisible spectator.

It had been three days now since the human boy named Aki Hara had gone missing. Unknown to him, there were rumors circulating around his school and a red bar running below newscasters as they spoke, all on his behalf. Completely oblivious to all but a faint sense that his mom might think he joined the Yukuza, the hanyou which had metamorphosized out of Aki Hara tapped his leg irritably. Two full days of staying indoors with nothing but videogames to entertain him were really beginning to grate on his nerves.

Aki stood and ran a clawed hand through his hair which had, thankfully, stopped growing at last. It had averaged itself out after fully covering his back and for a while, Aki had been concerned that it would turn into a Rupunzel situation. Itoe, however, had reassured him on the matter.

"Don't worry so much, Aki," she had scolded him. "Demonic bodies regenerate faster than human ones do. That includes our nails and hair. You hair just grew to the length it wants to be naturally. I wouldn't bother trimming it if I were you. The human police are looking for a reputable looking schoolboy." That said, she had gone out for more groceries, leaving Aki behind to mull over the patterns in the wallpaper.

Itoe's burrow truly was what she said it was. Many years past, it seemed, she had hidden her own modest kitsune portal within a residential district. Aki had found it very strange that Itoe had led them away from the entrance to an actual apartment complex only to point at a tiny statue mounted atop a railway post. That was, until the post burst into green flame and slid aside to reveal a trap door.

Down the ladder, Itoe had recreated one of her previous apartments. A bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen awaited its mistress with mystic perfection. Cold water welled into the tap from underground while glass lanterns awaited to be rekindled by Itoe's kitsune fire. In the cupboard there seemed to be enough dried and canned foodstuffs to last a decade. A gas burning backup generator was the only source of electricity, its sole purpose to feed power to a modest radio. It was to this generator that Itoe attached a small, receptionless television and a video game control station, all for Aki's entertainment.

Bored by what Aki considered insufficient fare for an enjoyable afternoon, Aki rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. His foot tapped out the seconds and his eyes fell on the chibi-ridden calendar Itoe had brought back along with the game player. Aki made especially note on the weekend where Itoe's hand flourished into an excited sprawl.

"Concert," Aki read aloud lazily. "Oh yeah. That's right. That girl will be singing." Aki loaded the cd for Lover's Kiss into his advanced and multifunctional game player. He waited for her first song to come on.

"Damn," said Aki shaking his head from side to side. "She may not be megatalent but her voice sounds… kinda cute."

"Ah ha!" Itoe's voice burst triumphantly. "So you admit having a crush on Michiko!"

"Michiko who?" Aki frowned grumpily and sniffed to take in the scent of Itoe's groceries.

"Michiko Shirai. The singer and lyricist for Lover's Kiss."

"She plays too?"

"Sometimes. She has three other girls to help her- drums, second guitar, you know. At time she just sings and at others she plays some sort of instrument. This cd was a bit too quiet for my tastes but she's pretty reliable talent."

"Hm. Well if that's the case I don't have any choice but to come to the concert with you to see if what you're saying is true. I can't let myself go uneducated about good music." Aki suddenly looked horrified.

"Oh no! My band! We were supposed to have practice this weekend!"

"I hate to break it to you but your time together has come to an end. Even if you went back you'd be caught and dragged off to the Taiyoukai."

"…"

"Cheerup. I'll give you my ticket to the concert and make a counterfeit from my magic for myself."

"Criminal," said Aki snatching the ticket away from her irregardless. He studied it. "Second row seat."

"Enjoy. I've got first row," said Itoe brandishing a newly conjured ticket.

"Wretched kistune."

"All right, all right, I'm just teasing. I'll attend second row as well. I need to keep my eye on you to keep you out of trouble."

"If it suits you," Aki Hara said coldly. Bounding over to the shopping bags he quickly zeroed in on a bag of potato chips and a package of ramen. He carried them back to the couch and hid them behind the pillow. Itoe sighed.

"Boys. Here. Catch. It's lemon lime soda. I'll be in the kitchen making salad."

"Itoe," Aki Hara said between foaming sips. "I'm curious. Why did you have a burrow waiting for you in Kyoto when you had a home in Tokyo?" Itoe suddenly began to look very nervous.

"I just did. I used to live here once for a brief time. I'm a whole lot older than you."

"I guess that makes sense." Aki narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.

"Damn kitsune," Aki thought to himself irritably. "I get the sense that there's something she isn't telling me."

Giant halogen colored spotlights began to flood one of Tokyo's outdoor giant amphitheatres, gauging out a miniature hemisphere where once there had been only a coalescing night sky. The sound of people and cars collecting removed tranquility and replaced it with expectations. Eagerness paled or brightened every face. The foreground of trendily dressed youth was a selective gateway to a momentum called concert, and this concert's army of devout remained blissfully unaware of the miko and demon which observed them. At the far end of the mill, beyond the merchandise stands, a furry black panther demon looked through a pair of field goggles. So did the diminutive priestess perched on his shoulder.

"Are you certain that the demoness might show up here tonight?" asked the panther demon.

"I'm certain of it, Kyo," Riku said cheerfully. "Sesshomaru said that Yasuo found stubs of concert tickets at the suspect's abandoned residence. She wouldn't be able to pass up a genuine concert. Although I don't think she could be such a bad person if she's a fan of Michiko Shirai." Riku giggled and waved a homemade fan pendant.

Meanwhile, Aki and Itoe wandered nearly shoulder to shoulder from one another amidst the crowd. Plastic bracelets legitimized both of them as concertgoers and both fought their way through the confusion to their seats. Itoe grinned and waggled a memorabilia t-shirt at Aki.

"I got you this. If you're a good boy I'll give it to you."

"Pretty kinky for a first date," Aki said raising his eyebrow in mockery to her suggestion.

"Why, you slummy mutt!" Itoe whapped him lightly with a poster.

"Relax. I was only joking. Smelly kitsune."

"You're so endearing. But don't flatter me. Look, it's your crush." Aki glowered. He perked up though, when mists made from dry ice began to circle the floor of the stage. The first strains.of a solo guitist played out. Jets of air and light consumed the stage and a young teen dressed in a tight short skirt strutted out onto the stage. Aki flushed even redder as she opened her mouth and sang.

"One night, rippin' up the love I knew.

One night, rippin up this love for two

And leavin' one behind.

You gave me tears to cry."

Aki chewed on his lip thoughtfully as the figure danced skillfully on the stage. A second girl came out from the shadows and sang counterpoint in the warm light. Aki Hara was indeed impressed. But what held his rapt attention more than anything was the first singer's face. She seemed to be the corporeal manifestation of his ethereal dreams with her determined concentration; her neatly triangular chin and soft pale skin; her clean-arched nose. The singer's ears curved with perfectly round edges making them seem more precious than pearls. Most of all he longed to reach out and touch those messy bangs. Time flew by and even Itoe's giggles at him ended when he gravitated closer to the stage as her final song was announced. Vaguely, Aki felt the crowd part as he shoved the throng away and stood gazing up at her reverently. Up on the stage, Michiko paled as her eyes met his. A sharp jolt seemed to stab through her heart and she could not tear her eyes away from the handsome young man admiring her. She licked her lips and shook her head to clear it. Yet, her focus kept swaying from the sea of fans as she moved to the edge and spoke.

"I'd like to thank all of you for coming out here tonight. Lover's Kiss wouldn't be where it is now if it wasn't for all you fans supporting us. I hope you'll all come to see all our concerts as we start this year's nationwide tour! For our finale tonight, I'm going to be singing a new song never heard before tonight. I call it, Spectator to the Moon."

Michiko closed her eyes and began to sing, this time not in her peculiar brand of spicy or determination but in a vein of tender and timeless romance. Indeed, even as she opened her eyes and they became locked on his, the words became ageless. Both Aki's and Michiko's hearts beat fast. Both forgot in an instant who they were or why they were here today. She sang her song only for her beloved spectator.

"Two lovers meet.

Entwined by time and the moon.

Lost within this fairy tale.

Lost within you.

Don't wake, baby, don't wake.

Stay at my fingertips.

Don't wake. We can make the moon our own."

"My heart beat, somehow wanting, never knowing its love for you.

Like to a windowshop, not knowing when to buy,

Until the moment

I saw you!"

"Two lovers meet.

Entwined by time and the moon.

Lost within this fairy tale.

Lost within you.

Don't wake, baby, don't wake.

Stay at my fingertips.

Don't wake. We can make the moon our own."

"A thousand dreams… forgotten!

A journey far from home. My heart drops when I see you at the corner,

Lets go to the metro to start an adventure of our own!

"Two lovers meet.

Entwined by time and the moon.

Lost within this fairy tale.

Lost within you.

Don't wake, baby, don't wake.

Stay at my fingertips.

Don't wake. We can make the moon our own."

No matter how much time it is that passes,

The voice in my heart stays true.

Arguments forgotten, disaster averted

Make me fall even deeper in love with you.

Two lovers meet.

Entwined by time and the moon.

Lost within this fairy tale.

Lost within you.

Don't wake, baby, don't wake.

Stay at my fingertips.

Don't wake. We can make the moon our own."

We can make the moon our own,

Me and you!"

Michiko's voice fell silent. There was a moment more of earth-shocked silence from her fans before they erupted into a bedlam of cheers. Itoe gasped as Aki Hara made a half-demon's leap above the crowd to land on the stage. Michiko panted and looked up into the face of her mysterious spectator up close. She smiled and pushed a tendril of wet hair back from her face from where it clung only to find herself trapped in an unquenchable kiss. The locket at Aki's neck burst into flames, these flames leaping into Michiko. The singer gasped, pushing herself away in fear.

"Who are you? What are you trying to do?" Michiko clenched her hand over her heart even as the flames pulsed within her. Reacting, spires of pink and blue energy rose to extinguish them. Michiko Shirai fainted.

"Michiko!" Aki called out in concern even as he caught the girl in his arms. "Michiko! Speak to me!" His ears suddenly sensed someone behind him. Itoe hissed.

"Aki! What are you doing! Let's get out of here!"

"Yeah." Aki cast a glance on the human guards rushing towards him and leapt. As he ran, Itoe kept apace of him.

"Aki!" Itoe screamed. "Drop that girl now!"

"No!"

"Aki! Please, I'm begging you!" The scent of tears pulled at his nose, but then a new voice tore into Aki's perception.

"Aki Hara. Halt! In the name of Sesshomaru, I arrest you for the kidnapping of a mortal, resisting arrest, burglary, theft, and the desecration of sacred ground. You have the right to appeal for mercy." The Priestess Riku glared importantly at Aki Hara from her perch atop Kyo's shoulder. Aki bundled the girl in his arms tighter to his chest and leapt. A large fist nearly missed Aki as he moved. Kyo and Aki sized each other.

"Damn it. Out of the way. I won't be stopped and I won't let you take anything from me." Kyo's only response was to crack his fists.

"Be good Kyo," Riku warned. "Lord Sesshomaru said something about wanting him alive. Or at least I think so. I forget. But please don't hit Michiko Shirai!" The tiny priestess burst into tears and pulled on the larger demon's ears. "I just love Michiko Shirai! I don't want her to die!" Kyo lowered his fist slightly and she smiled.

"Watch this, Kyo. Bandibandiboom!" Waving her exorcist's bell staff, a broad circle of spiritual energy eclipsed the parking lot Aki Hara had been stopped. Aki found himself flung through the air. Pain synapsed throughout his body but stubbornly; he kept his arms and knees curled protectively around the precious girl he held. As he landed, flat out on his back and unable to move, a warm pink glow flickered into being and created a small wall around him. Aki Hara stirred. Slowly he opened his eyes.

"Michiko?" The silver-haired hanyou looked down on the miko. Her powers were newly awakened but her conciousness was not. Still she slumbered, looking now as if in a pleasant dream. Aki Hara sat up painfully. Carefully, he bundled her closer to him. A look of bliss spread as he sniffed her hair.

"Oh! Kyo!," Riku squeaked excitedly, "Michiko Shirai must be the reincarnation Lord Sesshomaru is looking for! Quick, capture her!"

"Oh no you don't," Aki Hara spat struggling to his feet. "I won't ever let you lay a hand on Michiko!"

"Hmn," Riku said deliberating. "What an idiot. One kiss and he suddenly thinks they're on their honeymoon. Why don't you ask the girl how she feels on the matter?"

"Shut up," Aki Hara said laying Michiko Shirai on the ground and pulling out his Tetsusiaga. An unheralded windscar passed unhindered through the spiritual barrier Michiko had erected and advanced on Riku and Kyo.

"EEEIE! I don't wanna die!" Riku shivered and looked up to where her own barrier held its dome above her. Kyo looked at her in askance.

"Our prey has escaped, Partner Riku. Should we seek their trail?"

"We're going to have to. Lord Sesshomaru is going to be so very disappointed in me! But I at least did two things right!"

"What might that be?" Riku unfurled a glossy poster depicting Michiko Shirai. Oddly enough, it was as tall as she was.

"I got a picture of Kagome's reincarnation. It is going to be soooo easy to find her after this. After all, Aki Hara just kidnapped an up and coming singer. Anyone whom is a fan of pop music will recognize her." Riku beamed.

"Besides that, I did something really good. When Aki Hara first moved I had my camera ready. I got a picture of Itoe Negishi's demonic form. It turns out that even the name she was registered under was an alias. Yasuo told me. So now we get to see if she has a record."

A few hours later, in the offices of Sesshomaru, Yasuo, Kiku, Riku, Kyo, and Desiree sat and looked at the newly developed photo. Desiree picked it up in her hand and compared it to one from another folder.

"Yes. I recognize this kitsune. Thirty years ago I shot a poison-laced bullet into her side but she escaped. It seems she survived."

"What do you mean? Why would you do such a thing to her?" Yasuo said slowly.

"It means that the kitsune calling herself Itoe Negishi can be killed on sight, if it doesn't endanger the lives of either Hara or Shirai. She is a first-class bounty with a record of over one hundred and fifty human mortalities."

"It means," said Desiree gazing steadily into her fellow teammates' eyes in order to gauge their reaction, "that Itoe Negishi is a Human Eater."

Preview- Dun, dun, dun! Oh, no! Or oh, yes! Either way you look at it, in the next chapter Itoe's dark secrets come to light, Michiko wakes up, and the chase is on!


	106. Chapter 106

_**Sesshomaru-**_ (Inuyasha's elder brother, the reigning Taiyoukai and founder of Takahashi Enterprises.

_**Desiree**__-_ (An elegant, French speaking demoness whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Itoe**__-_ (A kitsune formerly from the same school as Aki and now on the run with him)

_**Aki**__-_ (A boy who just found out he's not human anymore, and possibly much more. He is Inuyasha's reincarnation.)

_**Michiko-**_ (Singer/song writer/ and musician in her all-female band, Lover's Kiss. Her name means beautiful and wise. She is Kagome's reincarnation.)

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Inuyasha, do you? Any similarity to any real or historical persons is unintentional. I'm going for original characters here, outside of the Inuyasha character cast that is.

**Disclaimer-** I do not own the manga/ Anime series called Inuyasha.

**Recap-** _"__A few hours later, in the offices of Sesshomaru, Yasuo, Kiku, Riku, Kyo, and Desiree sat and looked at the newly developed photo. Desiree picked it up in her hand and compared it to one from another folder._

"_Yes. I recognize this kitsune. Thirty years ago I shot a poison-laced bullet into her side but she escaped. It seems she survived."_

"_What do you mean? Why would you do such a thing to her?" Yasuo said slowly._

"_It means that the kitsune calling herself Itoe Negishi can be killed on sight, if it doesn't endanger the lives of either Hara or Shirai. She is a first-class bounty with a record of over one hundred and fifty human mortalities."_

"_It means," said Desiree gazing steadily into her fellow teammates' eyes in order to gauge their reaction, "that Itoe Negishi is a Human Eater."_

**Chapter 106: Crimson**

A steady stream of tears rained down from Itoe's eyes as Aki Hara carried Michiko Shirai into her apartment. Yet, when Aki had fully entered her dwelling, with Michiko held bridal style in his arms, she composed herself enough to wave the door shut with one paw. Itoe wiped her nose with one paw and slumped bonelessly in the corner. Aki decided to ignore her for the moment in favor of the unconscious girl.

"Michiko?" he asked softly clasping one hand in his own. "Michiko, are you all right." There was no response.

"Let's just hope she won't wake up right away," Itoe said crossly from across the room. "Whatever it is you did changed her. I can smell the youkai from here. She's just like you now. A hanyou." Aki thought on it. Carefully, he lay down the girl down so that she slept in peaceful repose on the couch. He straightened.

"Come on Itoe," he said turning on his heel sharply to face her. "We need to talk."

"Not here. There is something I need to show you first." An unflinching stare was shared between them. This time, it was Itoe who turned. Her back became a stern wall between them washed by ominous waves. Aki followed in a mood of mesmerization to these rapid changes.

The scent of tears renewed themselves as Itoe opened her bedroom door, pointing a stern finger inward. Aki had the sudden sensation that he was in for a scolding. He squared his shoulders and marched right in. A syllable frothed in Aki's mouth before the door shut with a click after them. Itoe stared down at Aki from the dark.

"Aki Hara," Itoe said. The dim blue cast from a kitsune-bi flickered over her shoulder illuminating a wearied face.

"Do you remember what you asked me? You said that it puzzled you that I kept a separate residence from the one in Tokyo. You were right. It is odd even for a demon."

"Itoe?" Aki looked warily upon her unusual, smile-less face.

"There were other things about me. Odd things I feared you might have noticed."

"There were," Aki Hara said shocking the heavy atmosphere between them. Itoe's eyes narrowed upon him with interest.

"The first time we went into the mall together and we were chased, you knew the woman who was chasing us. You were able to identify her by sight, and by name. You even knew how best to elude her. It seems to me as if you've had with her dealings before."

"Yes. And during that chase you might have noted the link which remains between she and I. The wound she gave me years ago is like a cursemark. That day we escaped from the mall- my side seared so badly I might have bled."

"In the music store- you used some sort of magic strong enough to melt that of other youkai."

"I do have a meager bit of talent."

"And always, even if I was stealing sacred treasures or defying authority you seemed to sanctify my actions. You even helped me escape into hiding."

"Not always, Aki Hara, not always. It was you who longed to steal a mortal woman or should I say a hanyou? Now I'm afraid you've brought judgment upon my head."

"What do mean?" Itoe looked scathingly at him.

"I mean Aki Hara that it's time you learned some unpleasant details about your hostess. You won't be getting out this room through that door." Aki Hara started as the flames of a barrier erupted behind him. He growled.

"What's the meaning of this? What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't escape of course. I want you to see the inside of my true den."

Itoe's body fractured, expanding and lengthening out as she filled the room. Aki Hara backed away until his back was at the searing door. Desperately, he tried to seize the Tetsusiaga. Before he had the chance to do so, a ribbon of black energy wound itself around the sword sheath, carrying it outside his reach. Meanwhile, a huge tail wound itself around his torso binding him like rope. Another kitsune gateway, this time a huge ring of fire, opened in the floor. Aki and Itoe fell inside it.

"Damn," Aki said framed by absolute darkness. A single light beamed into existence, then several. It revealed a morbid scene.

The floor of the underground cavern was completely covered with a litter of bones. Skulls, femurs, and fractured ribs tapped Aki's feet. As Itoe moved the litter shifted, making a dry rasping sound.

"I see rebellion within your eyes, Aki Hara. Do you hate me this much already, now that you have seen me for what I really am?"

"I might be able to answer that question better if I knew what it was you are planning to do with me. Add me to your pile of bones?"

"I think the question's fair enough. My reason for bringing you here is one of revelation. There are things which you and I need to discuss."

"Like I have a choice."

"Silence Aki Hara. I do not have the time nor patience for one of your comebacks now that the chase has been set in motion. You really messed up this time. It is only a matter of time before THEY come for both of us."

"They? You mean the youkai who have been chasing us?"

"Silence Aki! I have a tale to tell and you must listen. I must tell you whom I am. It is the only way you will understand."

"Sixty years ago I lived with my family in a small town along the Hokaido. The line has posed as innkeepers for hundreds of years and it is proud of this tradition. It was into this atmosphere I was born."

"It was a loving family. I was surrounded by a mother and father, aunt and uncle, grandparents, and many siblings. My sisters and I lived a comfortable life. My parents saw to it that we felt happy and cherished."

"But one day something happened. Something I very much regret. In a way it might have been better if I had allowed it. At the very least if I had been killed that night I would have suffered far less. Because of that moment my life was changed and I…lost everything." Itoe's eyes drifted shut slowly, only to open. Aki Hara saw pain mirrored within them.

"That night, I had left my books at school. I couldn't very well do my homework without them so I snuck out of the house. I reached the school without trouble and pushed open the window we kitsunes used. It was the first night I had snuck out on my own. At first, it felt glorious."

"But then, on the way home I tread on streets which were so much safer by day. Back then, I didn't understand. A human male found me. The concealing spell on me made him mistake me for a human girl. He tried to rape me."

"Unfortunately for both of us I was not in the mood. I bit his arm off and swallowed it. It was the beginning of the end for me."

"Unusual tale," Aki Hara muttered under his breath. Itoe paid him no attention.

"Soon after that another man assaulted me. He had been watching me for some time and whether it was to avenge the first man I don't know. But I had already had that fateful first taste. When he came after me alone, I devoured him. He was the first of many."

"Many?" Aki Hara echoed tonelessly. Itoe gave him a cheerless grin.

"Yes, the first of many. I was horrified, initially. But I quickly became addicted to the taste of human flesh, the warm heat of their blood as it pumped from their stilling hearts. I couldn't stop myself."

"At first, I devoured only those whom seemed to deserve it, or those who like me loitered too long after dark. As time passed I began to lose myself. I was so afraid of getting caught. I didn't want my family to find out what I had become so I fled."

"Soon, the numbers of my victims began to pile up and THEY came after me."

"Sesshomaru's Secret Service."

"Yes. By that time I had already become proficient at eluding the police of mortals, the odd demon hunter, the traps of priestesses. I fed a flame of terror and rebellion without me knowing so it was only a matter of time before word of my doings came to the Taiyoukai Lord. My death was publicly sentenced."

"So you were caught."

"No, Aki Hara. I was not. Not quite. You see, youkai believe in a different sort of justice than humans. We follow a code more suited to our nature. We have no courts. We follow the guidance of clan leaders. Lord Sesshomaru is even higher than these. The word of the Taiyoukai is absolute. His commandment that I be killed was death in itself, worse than being banned from the Intermixed Settlements."

"I remember the first time I saw Desiree. She had a particular corner staked out for weeks. Apparently, several streets where I had taken victims transected and it led her to me. Her nickname for me was Crimson."

"I used my shapeshifting and my skills to evade her detection. For little while I even trailed her myself. But she caught on eventually and used what she had learned of me to set a trap."

"It was cold out. The wind was unpleasantly turbulent making it difficult to fly. Desiree counted on this and forced me to escape that way. She had a rifle waiting."

"The bullet she hit me with was poisoned. I should have died. But I used anything and everything to treat myself. Magic. Medicine. Cold water. I was fortunate enough to have built a secret burrow like to this one and it was here that I hid as I recovered. At long last, I crept out."

"The strangest irony was that I hid myself by impersonating one of my unaccounted victims. Only once had I eaten a child and it was this girl whom I became. It was a sobering experience for me."

"Before, I had little understanding of humans. Sure I had gone to school with them and could possess their bodies but I knew nothing of their worth. But the aunt and uncle of this same girl welcomed me. They were like real parents to me. Worse, the girl whose life I took haunted me. I slept in the same room that had been hers, wore the same clothes, even read all her old diaries until I found myself adding to them. In essence, I became her. My mortal parents grew older and died of natural causes. I moved and took up the name Itoe. And then of course I met you. A hanyou boy. The same boy which with his foolish ways would eventually betray me to my hunters."

The tail holding Aki Hara carried him up to the fox demoness' glowing eyes. Then, in one coordinated move she pinned Aki Hara beneath her two front paws instead of her tail. Aki grimaced as the paws drove him deep into the bed of fragmented human remains. Itoe's muzzle descended and Aki struggled, waiting for death. He was startled when the newly transformed Itoe lay down on his chest, weeping. Slowly, she raised her lips to his own and kissed him gently.

"I'm sorry Aki," said the humanoid form of Itoe. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to make you a criminal like me. I'll make sure that you can escape. I'll show myself. I will die so that you may live." Aki looked at the kitsune in askance.

"It's not too late for you, Aki Hara," the kitsune explained. "You have the chance to beg for the Taiyoukai's forgiveness. The locket and sword might be returned and the girl still lives. Please Aki. Save yourself." Aki sat up. Deliberately, he ignored the kitsune as if she had not spoken to him.

"Stupid kitsune," he growled out finally. "You say that like you've given up hope. Besides, you're wrong. You may be a criminal Itoe but I owe too much to you. I will never betray you. Now will you please fly us up there? I want to go see if my crush has woken up."

On the plain brown couch where Aki had left Michiko Shirai, a transformation was taking place. Two black ears sprouted from the pop star's head. A tail came next. After a few minute's more of muscles and skeleton rearranging, two brown eyes popped open and stared hazily across the room. They widened.

"Where am I?" Michiko yelped looking around. "The last thing I remember was the concert. Oh no!" She ran across the room to the front door and pulled on it but it did not budge. With a look of fear, Michiko scuttled around to the kitchen and took down a cast iron frying pan. Then she hid behind the counter. She flinched when she heard her name called out to her. Michiko gulped. She tightened her grip on the pan in her fist.

"Michiko? Did you wake up? Damn it! Itoe, she's gone!"

"The door is still locked," said a much subdued Itoe. "She must be here." Itoe dutifully brightened all the kitsune lanterns just as a resounding clunk was heard from a corner of the kitchen. Itoe frowned.

"Aki? Aki Hara? Are you all right in there? Maybe not."

**Author Notes-** The above was an unpleasant little piece of character development. There may be mixed feelings of like or hate towards Itoe now but she is instrumental in this story so we will see how "destiny" plays out.


	107. Chapter 107

_**Sesshomaru-**_ (Inuyasha's elder brother, the reigning Taiyoukai and founder of Takahashi Enterprises.

_**Desiree**__-_ (An elegant, French speaking demoness whom works for Sesshomaru's Secret Services.)

_**Itoe**__-_ (A kitsune formerly from the same school as Aki and now on the run with him)

_**Aki**__-_ (A boy who just found out he's not human anymore, and possibly much more. He is Inuyasha's reincarnation.)

_**Michiko-**_ (Singer/song writer/ and musician in her all-female band, Lover's Kiss. Her name means beautiful and wise. She is Kagome's reincarnation.)

**

* * *

Author Notes:** Whew! Nearly to the end of the "plot arc" as it were. Sorry, you'll have to wait till later to find out if Itoe dies or not, also why Michiko is "unrecorded". 

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own Inuyasha, do you? Any similarity to any real or historical persons is unintentional. I'm going for original characters here, outside of the Inuyasha character cast that is.

**Recap-** _On the plain brown couch where Aki had left Michiko Shirai, a transformation was taking place. Two black ears sprouted from the pop star's head. A tail came next. After a few minute's more of muscles and skeleton rearranging, two brown eyes popped open and stared hazily across the room. They widened._

"_Where am I?" Michiko yelped looking around. "The last thing I remember was the concert. Oh no!" She ran across the room to the front door and pulled on it but it did not budge. With a look of fear, Michiko scuttled around to the kitchen and took down a cast iron frying pan. Then she hid behind the counter. She flinched when she heard her name called out to her. Michiko gulped. She tightened her grip on the pan in her fist._

"_Michiko? Did you wake up? Damn it! Itoe, she's gone!"_

"_The door is still locked," said a much subdued Itoe. "She must be here." Itoe dutifully brightened all the kitsune lanterns just as a resounding clunk was heard from a corner of the kitchen. Itoe frowned._

"_Aki? Aki Hara? Are you all right in there? Maybe not."_

**Chapter 107: Hello, Beloved**

A pair of black triangles twitched across the countertop from Itoe. Currently, the owner of said ears was convinced she was stealthily hidden. A small smile broke out at the corner of Itoe's careworn face. But her fear of impending doom as well as concern for Aki Hara caused her to send a small flame of kitsune-bi soaring into the kitchen. A small yelp later found an indignant Michiko on the counter, with ears poised tall and tail aloft.

"That hurt! What's the deal, here. What do you want from me? And why did you remove my concealing spell?" Itoe tipped her head at her.

"You have my friend Aki to thank for that. When he wakes up, he can tell you for yourself. Come here, sit down, have a bag of potato chips." Itoe took the bag of chips Aki had stashed beneath the pillow and shook it at her. Michiko scrunched her brows and considered it. Then, boldly, she sat down on the couch and took the bag Itoe proffered.

"You know, this had better not be a publicity stunt, or a ransom kidnapping. For all I know, you could be trying to blackmail me too." Itoe's brows shot up.

"Blackmail? Why?"

"Because I'm a hanyou I guess. My kind isn't all too popular, is it?"

"Perhaps. But trust me, Michiko none of this is my idea. I'm a devout fan of your music. This is all Aki Hara's fault!" The kitsune frowned at the said person whom still lay motionless on the kitchen floor.

"So what is it that you want from me?"

"It's better that I didn't say."

"It that case I had better be going now," Michiko said standing up suddenly and making a rapid bow, her eyes squinted shut cutely as per anime style.

"Oh no you don't" said Itoe putting her hand on Michiko's shoulder and forceably steering her back to the sofa. "You stay here. I need to go get Aki You can look after him till he wakes up. After you two talk, if you still want to leave here I won't stop you." Michiko dwelt on it.

"You had better promise me you won't play tricks then. Otherwise I'll have to fight you. I warn you, I may be a hanyou but I'm very strong."

"I'm impressed. You are quite an intelligent girl, Michiko. It is true that if you defeat me you would be able to pass unhindered through any barrier I have made. But I promise you- girl to girl, fan to idol, that I'm on your side in this. I really want you to go home right now. Just please," Itoe earnestly pleaded so that Michiko was forced to look at her, "talk to Aki. Tell him to drop all this nonsense and send you away."

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" Michiko said with mild anxiety. Itoe looked sadly on the pop singer.

"Knowing Aki Hara, there's no way he could explain without messing up. I had better tell you the story myself." Itoe seated herself down on the far side of the couch in a nonmenacing way and began to speak in pleasant narrative voice.

"Not too long ago, Aki Hara was an ordinary mortal boy. He went to the same school I did and I know for a fact that he was completely human. Then, a few days ago, he came into possession of an ensorcelled object. It is likely that it was chosen by it." Itoe fiddled with her hair.

"I don't completely understand all of it but a locket transformed Aki into a hanyou much like yourself. Also, Aki mumbles something about his locket telling him to go places and find things- or someone. It led him to find a sword hidden in the temple and now- it led us to you. It was the locket that annulled your concealing spell or maybe," said Itoe biting her lip, "it was something else."

"Something else?" Michiko said wonderously.

"Never mind that," Itoe shook her head. "Would you help me carry Aki to the couch? Only don't tell him I've been calling him that."

"Aki? Why not?"

"That roll stealer, trouble-making, half-mortal? I don't want him to think I've gone soft although I guess it's too late now." Itoe laughed mirthlessly before sobering.

"Really, Aki Hara is a good boy. Give him a chance to explain himself without jumping to conclusions. I know that right now, he seems like a crazed fan stalker but I promise you he really isn't all like that. He's just new and confused with life as a hanyou. But to level with you, since you're here with us he's gotten himself into some bad trouble. So please- forgive him all right? Don't punish him for this crazy stunt of his- he really was just trying to talk to you."

"You sound as if he had kidnapped a mortal, not a hanyou."

"Before you told me yourself that you were really a hanyou, I thought he had."

"So I'm guessing all this is another crush kidnapping. Don't worry, I know what male youkai are like. Although it's the first time I ever fainted." Itoe sent her a broad smile.

"The youkai world is a strange world, isn't it? I'll go get Aki Hara, then; and I'll make some tea."

"The potato chips are more than enough, thank you."

"Smart girl. Again, I'm sorry for all this." Itoe disappeared into the kitchen and came back dragging Aki Hara. Carefully, she hefted him onto the couch so that Michiko had to stand briefly before sinking down to stare curiously at him.

"My grandmother always did warn me about youkai courtship," said Michiko carefully smoothing Aki Hara's bangs away from his face to look at him. "She told me to find a nice tame human." A mischievous smile tugged at Itoe's lips.

"Well, Aki Hara will never be tame but he might be fun. I'll leave you two alone." The fox demoness took great pleasure in the embarrassed flush which spread across Michiko's face as she shut the bedroom door shut after her, leaving the two of them alone on the couch. She continued to smooth Aki Hara's bangs away.

"So," Michiko said to the unconscious boy softly, the tips of her long raven hair just tingling his cheeks as she leaned over him, "you're Aki Hara. Nice to meet you. I'm Michiko Shirai. I'm sorry for hitting you. But then again, you had it coming." Michiko fiddled with one of Aki's downy white ears.

"I've never seen another inu-hanyou like me. But I guess you're handsome. Maybe we've met somewhere before when you were human? I dunno. You almost seem kind of familiar." Michiko held her breath as Aki Hara's stirred and slowly, he opened his eyes. Michiko found herself breathless lost in the pools of amber.

As for Aki Hara, his eyes opened onto a face he had never seen before in his life but had instantly fell in love with. Up close, Michiko's beauty far surpassed that which he had seen at the concert and her flexing ears added to the fire he felt for her. He might have reached out to touch to this vision to see for himself if it was real but then the realization that he likely wasn't dreaming brought him to snap out of it. With a furious blush to match her own, he sat up and scooted out of her reach. He was shocked when Michiko Shirai pulled her feet up onto the couch. Stealthily, she began to stalk after him until the stood eye-to-eye with noses touching. Long they regarded one another, lost in a state of languid mesmerization. Aki Hara watched as Michiko's hand rose to caress his cheek gently. His own hand drifted of its own accord onto her back. Aki tensed, then relaxed as Michiko slid forward and her lips met his. She tasted just as good as she had that first time when Aki had confronted her on stage- no even better, for this time the kiss wasn't stolen. At last, Michiko's lids slowly fluttered open and she gazed approvingly on the hanyou before her. She pushed herself away only slightly to sit up. Aki's eyes eagerly traced her movements. He couldn't get enough of looking at her. Her own eyes held the same conviction.

"So," Michiko began after several minutes. "That's the same way you were looking at me at the concert. Like you want me. Like we were meant to be mates."

"I dunno," Aki Hara lisped. His lips felt as if they might crack if he spoke louder. But then her scent came wafting over to him and he thought he might drown in euphoria. Aki lifted a clawed hand to her and tenderly stroked her thigh. His hand was met with a playful whack. (Yep, this is Aki not Inuyasha. He's gotten over shyness.)

"Not so fast, buster. I don't even know you. Not to mention the fact that I'm not one hundred percent certain why it is you've brought me here." Aki Hara's dissolved reason abruptly came flowing back with her statement. He pulled his hand away quickly as if burned and tucked it behind his other hand.

"It was an accident!" Aki Hara vocalized loudly, completely oblivious to the reason for Michiko's sudden frown. "I just wanted to talk to you and these people from some kind of security came jumping down on me. You fainted so we ran."

"And you just happened to take me along with you?"

"Sorta. It's not like I could leave you there. You fainted right in my arms."

"Oh. So that's it is it?" Michiko said flatly. Disappointed, she slid off the couch and began to walk away only to be stopped by a clawed hand on her wrist.

"Wait. No. It was something more than that. When I saw you, I knew in an instant I was meant to find you. The light that night- you felt it didn't you? Michiko." Michiko lifted her eyes to meet his searching ones. She slowly nodded.

"Yes. I suppose I did. I don't understand what went on during then but I felt- like a tremendous energy was inside me. I felt too, like I was meant to be this way and that my heart was calling out to you. Funny isn't it, with us being complete strangers?"

"I dunno. Could be love at first sight," Aki Hara unlatching the locket around his neck. Carefully, he drooped the chain around Michiko's hand, allowing the pop singer to examine it. After a minute, she made a closed fist around it and held it to her heart.

"I don't sense anything odd about this locket," said Michiko. "It seems to me like an ordinary locket but still- I know what I felt that night. May I open it?"

"Sure."

Together, Michiko and Aki pried open the small golden heart-shaped pendant. They stared in reverent silence at the two figures shown within.

"They look like…us," said Michiko tenderly stroking the rim framing the photo of Aki's predecessor, then that of her own former life.

"Yeah… I know," said Aki Hara looking but a moment longer himself before clasping the locket shut and setting it aside on the television stand. He ran his own hand along Michiko's face so that he could relish her beauty properly.

"So," said Aki Hara suddenly assuming a suave tone. "Do you wanna go out?" Michiko giggled and gave a light toss to her head.

"Sure," she said drawing Aki Hara in for another kiss.

Meanwhile, in the streets of Kyoto, Sesshomaru himself, Yasuo, Kiku, Riku, Kyo, and the infamous huntress Desiree, met beside a trail of natural scent, devoid of youkai aura. Six sets of eyes peered all knowingly into the darkness toward a post which no longer hid any secrets from them. Backtracking Itoe's journey to concert had been simple. Desiree smiled cruelly and rechecked the poison bullets in her favorite handgun. Now, nothing could stop her from finishing of her prey. This time, Crimson, the kitsune that now dared to call herself Itoe Negishi, would die.

Aki Hara's romantic moment came to a harsh conclusion when Itoe's visible kitsune barrier began fluctuate. Itoe herself rushed into the room and threw herself against the barrier. Her face became pained and both Aki and Michiko ran to her side as her barrier sizzled into a mere vortex of vapors against the purifying energy used against it.

"Aki Hara," Itoe mustered against the pain which flooded through her. "Take the secret passage I have opened in the kitchen. Run. Live while you still can. Leave the girl and the locket with me. The sword will protect you."

"You don't really expect me to leave you to die because of me," snarled Aki Hara.

"What's going on?" Michiko looked alarmed but still had sense enough to pick up the locket from the table and clasp it around her neck. She tightened her hand on Aki Hara's wrist. "Tell me, what is going on Aki?" Aki Hara growled.

"Michiko! Please, give me your hand." Michiko blinked once then complied.

"All right. What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to protect us like you did me last night. Concentrate on projecting a barrier."

"Aki, I don't know how to make a barrier! I'm an inu-hanyou."

"Just trust me."

"Okay." Michiko allowed her hand to be lain on the air where Itoe's barrier waivered into nonexistence. A wall of pink erupted from her hand in response to the one washing in from the outside. Michiko's eyes widened.

"What is this? How is it I have the power of a priestess? Is it because I was touched by the locket's magic?"

"I don't know," said Aki Hara from Michiko's side. He kneeled down on the floor and picked up an unconscious Itoe. Michiko frowned. Removing her hand from the barrier without it faltering in the slightest, she marched to the Aki Hara and began pushing him toward the couch. Both Michiko and Aki sat down. Michiko folded her arms crossly while Aki looked down at the kitsune as though she could get him out of this. His ears pressed backwards to his head when Michiko began speaking.

"So, Aki Hara," Michiko said sternly. "I think it's time you told me the whole story from the beginning."

Several hours after the unanticipated wall of spiritual energy had manifested itself, it dropped creating entrance to Itoe Negishi's den. Only, to wondering eyes of Sesshomaru, Yasuo, and the various members of Sesshomaru's Secret Service, pop singer Michiko Shirai, now turned hanyou, marched purposefully through this opening only to raise the barrier once more behind her. Folding her hands, she glared upon the reigning Taiyoukai.

"As you can see, there has been a mistake made regarding me. I am not a mortal, nor was I kidnapped outside of legal youkai courtship."

"Indeed," said Sesshomaru amused by this turn of events. Yasuo only gaped.

"Also, I have something to return. This is a locket which I believe belongs to you. I apologize for my boyfriend on his behalf. Please forgive him for breaking it." Sesshomaru deftly caught the locket as it was thrown to him.

"That is all very well. But the truth remains that Aki Hara has stolen this locket from its rightful place, as well as a very special sword. There is a way in which he might be forgiven."

"Yes?"

"Tell Aki Hara that he may keep Tetsusiaga, the sacred sword, as well as his freedom, on two conditions. You are to accompany Yasuo to a half-demon. You must release this half-demon from the seal which binds him. Second, the both of you must be registered as my vassals, or face exile from the mixed colonies. I can not allow anyone of demon descent to go unruled in the presence of mankind."

"I understand." Michiko bowed. "It will be as you say, Lord Sesshomaru. But for this favor, I must ask one in return. Please, if it is possible, spare Itoe's life."

"Impossible. The kitsune which you speak of must die. As a hanyou, you of all people must understand this fact."

"He's right," said a reverberating, eerie voice. Itoe appeared suddenly on a rooftop. Her undisguised demonic body undulated to cover the entire surface, a blood red moon behind her and reflected in her eyes of crimson. Her sleek, red fur glistened; the ends burnt with tongues of fire. "Even with the first human life I took, I knew what my fate would be. Your concern moves me, Michiko, but let it go. You and I are hardly more than strangers. I have resigned myself to my fate."

"Is that so?" Desiree said happily raising her gun. She fired a shot and the bullet sung through the air only to be sent singing off in another direction after a momentary crack as the bullet deflected off a broad sword. Aki Hara landed on the rooftop beside Itoe.

"How did you get here?" Michiko asked curiously. Both absorbed each other's appearance then studied the situation around them.

"Through the kitchen," Aki Hara said mildly. "Itoe woke up so she wanted me to make a break for it. But I'm not leaving. Not without you."

"Tsk. Itoe was right. You really aren't tame. But listen, Aki. You don't need to run away."

"Keh. I overheard what you were saying before. Do you want me to stand by while Itoe is killed? If she's out on her own its fine by me but right now the mess she's in is all my fault."

"Is that right?" Kiku the bat demoness said using her wings to propel herself forward. Ducking Aki's ordinary sword sweeps once, then twice she pinned him to the ground with his hands behind his back. "Sorry kid. You're in no position to talk big. Desiree isn't one to let her game escape this time."

"Wait! Uncle Sesshomaru!" Yasuo interjected walking into the limelight. He held up a sutra and slowly waved it through the air. "There is a way Uncle, to banish the kitsune from this world- in a manner of speaking."

Five hundred years prior to these events, it had been only a few days since Inuyasha's second sealing to Goshinoboku. Miroku and Sango had not yet finished planning for their journey in hopes of finding Kagome. Meanwhile, many of Inuyasha's friends and family had gathered at his feet looking up at their sleeping guardian. Miroku and Sango, their children, Shippo with Kagome's infant daughter, Sango's brother and his wife, Kilala, Uruwashii, and even Aijo and his family had come to see the truth for themselves. Princess Kuroi and Katana watched over Aijo's grief anxiously while wondering over Iyazoi's facial similarities to her grandfather. Everyone was busy consumed with their own especial form of rage or mourning when Yasuo's voice was heard across the clearing. The air became electrified when a second voice wrought out curses.

"Damn it! Get these cuffs off of me and fight me like a real man!"

"Unlikely. You would only end up getting hurt anyway." Yasuo rejoined.

"Aki! Don't, you're going to hurt yourself."

"Then hurry up and finish what the demon wants you to do. I want to get out of here. I don't trust that strange well we passed through."

"All right. The tree you spoke of was just ahead, right?" Everyone in Inu-tachi watched in amazement as a girl looking quite a bit like Kagome marched up to them and set her eyes on the Goshinoboku and the figure pinned to it. The girl deadpanned in astonishment herself.

"Err... hello. I'm here to help your friend out. Hi, my name is Michiko. Though I guess that really doesn't matter to anyone." Bravely, she marched up to Inuyasha.

"He looks so sad. I just have to pull the arrow out right?" Yasuo nodded. Aijo meanwhile, walked up to his brother, with Iyazoi in his arms.

"You found her reincarnation?"

"Yes. Who's this?" Yasuo' eyes flickered onto Iyazoi. He looked to his brother in askance. His reply was a broad smile.

"I'll introduce you two later." Both brothers turned their head as a burst of pink light exploded.


	108. Chapter 108

**Author Notes:** No, this is not the end of the story. It is the end of the Aki Hara plot arc. Chances are you'll never see him again.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha.

**Chapter 108: Maybe a Mini-Epilogue**

On a bright spring day not too long before summer vacation Aki Hara woke up. He rolled over out of bed much like any ordinary day. He got up early, and after avoiding his mother for the umpteenth time he found an old shirt from the laundry pile and put it on. Then, after lopsidedly looping on that obnoxious tie that the school dress code required, he walked slowly out the door, deliberately forgetting his lunchbox. After allowing his now-paranoid mother a single hug and kiss, he accepted a piece of egg on toast to eat on the way.

Aki continue to walk slowly down the edge of the sidewalk, not hurrying out of the way of bicyclists causing them to swerve. He was decidedly early for the bus, leaving him a good deal of time stare, not at the bus sign by the edge of the street, but in the opposite direction to the small local bakery where a girl he once knew used to wait. For a moment only Aki imagined he could see the brightly colored school uniform of a school girl he had known as Itoe Negishi, bread roll in hand as she had for countless mornings on this very corner. It had been a tradition of hers for years, hadn't it?

Shaking his head, Aki caught his breath as a blue and white daily bus pulled up the corner. He dug around in the front flap of his schoolbag and pulled out a bus pass his mother had bought especially for him to avoid muggers. Then, staggering to the back as the bus lurched into motion, he found his way into his usual seat. He sighed and propped his feet up on a vacant chair.

The remainder of his bus ride was silent. Nobody bothered talking to the uncommunicative Aki. The bus rolled to a stop again and Mieko Yoshikuni stepped inside. With only a slight turn of the head to glance at Aki, she walked to the other end of the bus chatting with her friends quietly.

Aki Hara himself found the distance between he and his fellow classmates consoling. The entire length of the bus seemed emptier than he remembered somehow, boring, without purpose. His own heart swelled up complete and meaningful within him. He picked up an odd sheet of newspaper left by a previous bus rider and amused himself with the advertisements.

When the bus ride was over and they stepped off at their school, Aki was grateful to disappear into the dense crowd of students heading toward classes. After a brief stop by his locker to get books, Aki Hara entered his classroom and took his seat beside Rishou Shouiriki. A chorus of whispers met him as he entered, but Aki ignored them. Instead, his eyes fell on a vacant seat at the head of the class.

"It's been a month now since that Negishi girl went missing," Rishou said catching Aki's glance. "Do you really believe that rumor that she was murdered in a back alley?"

"I don't know," Aki Hara replied, his voice somewhat woolen. "Why don't you ask the teacher herself?"

"Why are you pissed, Aki? It's not like you knew her."

"Maybe." Aki Hara scowled and twisted the silver bracelet on his wrist.

Aki turned back in his seat as the bell rang. Miss Ishimaru began their lecture without any pop quizzes. The school day blended into indistinguishable gray moments and soon it was over. Aki Hara found himself riding the bus back to his neighborhood again. Only this time, he did not get off. Instead he rode it to its end into the city high rise.

A searing, overly cheerful afternoon sunshine blared down on the noisy city. To gain relief from its promise of sunburn, Aki Hara dawdled beneath one of the store overhangs. At last, he gave up its shade to trudge purposefully to a restored historic building, nestled between slightly taller storefronts. The revolving doors of the old hotel gave way to permit Aki Hara entrance to the ground floor. The receptionist looked up as he neared her.

"Aki Hara? Guitarist for Lover's Kiss? Are you looking for Michiko?"

"As a matter of fact I am," Aki Hara said feigning indifference. His magically concealed ears twitched when he heard Michiko Shirai's voice at the other end of the phone line.

"Yes, I'm sending him up now," the receptionist told the handset. She raised a manicured finger towards Aki. "You may go now. Next person! Welcome to Sunriser Recording Studio."

Aki left the bossy receptionist behind him and took the stairway upwards. Three floors up he made his way to a moderately soundproofed room with a small window for viewing. He peered in to see if the electric keyboard within was being played by Michiko, and satisfied that this was indeed the case, he opened the door to join her. He listened to the notes she was experimenting with and nodded appreciatively.

"Changing your style just for me?" Michiko continued to chew on the tip of her pen cap as if she hadn't heard him. She learned over and scribbled new notation on the sheet.

"A lot of things have changed," Michiko spoke finally. "For example, every one now knows that I'm a hanyou. It's affected who my fans are quite a bit. I don't mind really, though. It's only fair, too, that the style has changed. After all, you write nearly as many songs as I do." Michiko winked at Aki.

"Wrong," Aki Hara snuffed. "I only help you write them. You're the _professional _here, remember?" Aki slouched in a chair and folded his hands behind his back so that he tilted backwards slightly. Michiko giggled.

"Sure. But don't forget Lover's Kiss isn't an all girl's band anymore. My agent is talking about changing the name also and making it evenly coed."

"Hum."

"Aki? Do you want a soda? I was just going to buy one."

"Sure." Aki stood.

Michiko and Aki wandered down the hallway to one of the abundant soda machines. Michiko bought two identical colas, one for each of them. Together, the two hanyou disguised as humans walked to the rooftop where an ideal lunch table might be found. Aki popped the lid of his soda can first and stared off into the haze of the city.

"It's kind of strange," Michiko said interrupting his silence. "We only just met a month ago and now so much has happened since then. I got a boyfriend for one thing." Aki smiled arrogantly.

"Yes you did. I also landed myself community service for the next 200 years or so. Damn that Sesshomaru and his lackeys."

"You should be grateful they were willing to be lenient. You did run a little wild you know. Who knows what you would have done if I had actually been human to begin with?"

"I don't know. But how was it that everyone on the planet thought you were one hundred percent human, even…Itoe." Michiko placed her hand in Aki's and he squeezed it lightly.

"The reason for that is that some people just don't like hanyous. My family was one of them. My mother loved me, but my grandparents were afraid of what the other members of my demon clan would think, so they kept me a secret. That's why when I was born, I wasn't registered as a youkai descendent. I maintained a false identity as a human."

"Is it really that bad being a hanyou?" Michiko shrugged.

"I don't think so. There are a few extremists here and there on either side but most people accept us for who we really are. Even my cousins from the dog clan."

"Is that so?"

"Speaking of hanyous, I never saw so many in one place in my life. Remember that strange journey through a magic well?"

"All too clearly."

"The people there were all so happy after I released their friend Inuyasha. I think at first he mistook me for someone else. After Yasuo explained things to him, he looked upset."

"Weakling."

"I don't think so, Aki. You don't know anything about mate bonds between youkai; although you're already pretty zealous just as my boyfriend. I can't forget the look on that guy's face when you told him off for touching my arm. Or the monk's face when you told him you were a musician."

"Yeah. Well, let's pretend none of that ever happened. I like it here in plain old Tokyo. I'm just grateful for what Yasuo did."

"Uh-huh. I was amazed myself when he let her go in the well."

"Demons eating humans were common back then apparently. But just think about it. All that time I knew her nobody ever went disappearing from my school. She said she had given up humans and I believe her. It's only fair they gave her a second chance."

"Are you saying that just because you were such good _friends_."

"Huh?"

"I saw that parting kiss you gave her, Aki. Not that I'm jealous or anything."

"We're just friends! Even if it weren't it would never work out between us. She's a killer demon AND a kitsune. She smelt worse than an unwashed gym bag." Michiko smiled.

"I have some more work to do here but after, I can take you home. What do you say, Aki?"

"Sure." Aki Hara stood and moved to exchange a small kiss.

Evening fell, Aki returned home, and life repeated itself with a new day. Aki Hara woke, tumbled out of bed, put on his clothes, and rushed past his mother to get to the bus stop where he wasted an hour he might have spent sleeping by waiting for the bus.

Just like yesterday, the sidewalk before the bakery was empty- silent. Aki Hara stuffed his hands in his pockets and glared at the sweet bread rolls in the shop window. He stared at the door to the bakery a minute longer before entering. The welcoming bell rang behind him with a small clang.

A long bus ride later, Aki Hara stepped down onto a gravel parking lot on a hill overlooking the sea. A few seagulls circled lazily overhead, casting their cries into the strong wind that buffeted waves as far as was visible. Aki Hara watched the seagulls and the ocean for a few minutes longer. Then, he walked across the hill to a small ledge covered by a cluster of gravestones. He carried a large paper shopping bag with him.

The descending sun sent Aki Hara's long shadow across the gravel to fall across one of the headstones, obscuring the writing slightly. Aki stopped by this stone.

"I'm glad Yasuo found out about this place." Aki finished his thoughts quietly. The hanyou in guise of a human kneeled. For a moment only, he folded his hands in prayer before snapping his eyes back open. Aki set his paper shopping bag on the base of the tombstone.

"I returned home, Itoe, just like you wanted me to. Look, I've brought back the 127 rolls I owed you. I even included an extra. That one's on me as a thank you." He stood.

"I'm sorry, Itoe. And I'm glad. I'm happy to have met you. You really were… my best friend. Don't worry. I'll be sure to swing by from time to time. Next time, I'll bring you some flowers. You'd like that, wouldn't you Itoe?" Aki Hara turned, and walked back up to the top of the hill where the bus was waiting. As he walked, the shadow he cast slid away from the tombstone so that its words might be read even at a distance.

"Itoe N. Died 1970 of natural causes. Love to Aki Hara."


	109. Chapter 109

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Author Notes:** The Aki Hara plot arc has ended. I don't know whether or not Aki esteemed her just a little bit more than a friend, or whether or not you disliked Itoe. The point was for views to be challenged and characters to be- themselves. Next is the "Inuyasha is grieving" portion of the story. More surprises on the way, but don't worry the story has a happy end. **I changed Inuyasha's daughter's name to Masago**, meaning sand/long life since her previous name is redundant. I'll be going back to fix it later. **Also, the four former consorts are back from Chapter 20. **Hoshika means star. **No,** **there is not** going to be an InuyashaxHoshika pairing.

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**Chapter 109: A New and Silent Journey**

A new wind blew across the canopy of the Forest of Inuyasha, breaking spent needles and drifting them down to motionless gloom below. For many creatures, the dark created a nerve-strengthening protection, a quiet realm in which to dig and sniff, in which to bed at night or to birth one's most secretive child. It was for all this and more, its hurried, life-filled footsteps that Inuyasha hated it all the more. To see it, feel it, taste it once was to invite a knife thrust. His heart wept and his face followed.

It is a strange thing in life to forget how to cry only to relearn it. Each tear, each phrase wrought by crystal, takes anonymity away from the emotions we are feeling. It soothes, if not to remove the source of pain than to refine it, so that the pain coalesces into tiny, storable spheres we may find if we are seeking. Importantly, once stored, they give us back a purpose if only to be a storage vessel for these precious orbs.

Such was not the process of a certain hanyou, however. His tears were not respite-filled nor reasoned. They were not tears of grief. For grief heals. The tears he bore were pain.

Four days now it had been since he had awoken. He did not eat. He did not care. He did not cry. He only wept.

Grief and pain are different entities. One is chosen. The other consumes and the patriarchic hanyou Inuyasha sorrowed as the young boy he truly was. His beloved Kagome, his mate, he felt certain had preceded him in death. In his heart, no longer could he feel her tethered to his fragile half. The absence was deafening.

Yet, life makes certain obligations, especially of men, and we follow them habitually. Inuyasha remained leader and although his recent loss would likely prove as fatal as a shouki wound to the heart, still in the morning he retied the strings to his hakama, shifted his belt so the Tetsusiaga hung at proper length, and nearly soulless, rose to complete height. Others were waiting for him, though own heart screamed at them. Miroku stood half-turned on the unwelcome path, forcing hopefulness upon him.

"Greetings, Inuyasha," Miroku said with the morning's less callous phrase. "I am glad you have joined us." A warm hand fell onto his shoulder in the manner of reassurance and he found himself blinking up at it before his own forgotten voice joined the air. Inuyasha growled. Half furious, he pushed the hand away.

"Don't get so cheerful, Miroku. You should have left me on that tree." The monk looked sadly at him.

"It is foolish to give up hope in Kagome-sama, so easily Inuyasha. You told me that once and I believe you, even if you've forgotten it yourself."

"I told you Miroku!" the hanyou snapped. "I told you... I cannot feel her anymore! The link between us has been severed!" Inside, the severance of a mate bond tore him to ashes. Miroku's eyes sharpened, his next words sterner.

"Get a hold of yourself, Inuyasha. Sango and I both believe Kagome to have been sealed just as you had been. If you give up now, you fail her both as a man and her protector." Faint hope crawled into the hanyou's chest once more. The glassy sheen to his eyes sobered. Even Inuyasha knew Miroku was right. It is only hard to hide from the weight of emotions. Prodded, he walked up to his expected place and placed his nose to the wind.

For this new journey, Miroku led them. The needs of his present and future kin clung tightly to his face masking any lighter moods he felt. This was a quest more meaningful to him than to the one he had undertaken now so many years ago- those improbably careless years of seeking the Shikon no Tama, culminating in Naraku's destruction. Inuyasha was his brother; one who had done much for him and suffered greatly at his hands. They were comrades also. Now, in his bloodless brother's time of need, Miroku would not fail him. Seeing Inuyasha lagging slightly, he threw a small stone at the hanyou.

"Come on, Inuyasha! Kagome-chan will be waiting several centuries for us to free her if you don't get a move on!" The Inuyasha smiled back wanly. Both Aijo and Yasuo swore at him from the path ahead and his smile broadened even wider. In a grateful sense, Kagome was still here.

A week and a half later, many miles inland amongst the dense mountain peaks, the group under Miroku's guidance reached the waterfall shielding the den of Kouga and Ayame's wolf demon tribe. The curtain of ceaseless rain poured down on Inuyasha's ears and he half-raised an arm to shield them. Specks of waterfall spray got in them regardless, and he shook his head sideways. The sensation of cold water was pleasing somehow and deliberate. It restored some measure of perceptions he had lost, walking in this endless dream. From the narrow and drier path sneaking around the waterfall's side, Miroku shook his head at him.

His sense of place newly renewed in the world and only a halo sense of unreality about him, Inuyasha looked up at the strong hand that had clasped his own arm. The cuff made of fur and scent of wolf were unerringly familiar. Inuyasha looked up into concerned cerulean. He snorted and lowered his arm from its brotherly hold.

"Kouga? Since did we agree to be such good friends, ya stupid wolf?" There was no harsh retort this time, making him sink back into a gray lack of concentration. Inuyasha was brought out of it roughly by yet another hand on his shoulder.

"Don't give up yet, Dog-boy," the leader of the wolf-demon tribe said. "We'll find Kagome yet. I have my wolves searching the whole country for her. In the meantime, come meet my pups."

"Pups?"

When the hanyou's echo died away, the pale and beautiful wolf princess, Ayame, still with the flower of her name pinned behind her ear, appeared. In her arms was a single fat wolf cub while at her feet four others of tender ages romped. Inuyasha could not help but be surprised at his rival's filled nursery. Ayame drew near to him, holding up her newborn child for him to examine.

"Shigure, my third son. I am so glad you are here, Inuyasha-sama. There is something I wanted to discuss with you."

"What is it?" The gruff hanyou folded his arms.

"Your youngest daughter, Masago is about the same age as Shigure. Kouga and I have given it some thought and decided to ask for a formal engagement to be arranged between the two. Would you please consider this honor, Inuyasha-sama? " Inuyasha's eyes widened. His head swiveled over to Kouga.

"Is she really saying what I think she said, scrawny wolf?" The wolf demon grinned and wrapped an arm around his mate's shoulder.

"She sure is, Dog-boy. Like she said, we've given it a lot of thought and it'd be advantageous to both of us. My boy here would get a wife and an alliance with your tribe. In return, we promise to protect her with everything we've got. Just think about it. While you're off hunting down Kagome, we can make sure she's nursing."

Inuyasha thought about it. While he had been pinned to the tree and Kagome first kidnapped, Sango had spared milk for his daughter and fed her grueled rice to supplement it. Shippo kept the poor kid fooled into thinking its mother had never left by alternating between her and his own form. However, the scent in her blankets was growing stale and it would not fool the child for much longer

"I'm not going to abandon my daughter with you," Inuyasha huffed, "she's too precious for that." Shippo looked anxiously up at the hanyou, Masago in his arms.

"We might send her to be looked after by my wife, Father, " Aijo offered. "She will be well protected within my castle."

"No," Inuyasha said sternly. "I know what's best for her and what Kagome would want. Masago should be taken care of by her grandmother. The formula of her time is as good as milk. It should be safest there as well. As for you, Kouga, I would be honored to accept an engagement between your son and Masago. However, when she grows up it will be her own choice whether to carry through with it or not." This statement stunned everyone.

"Father," Yasuo said gulping, "are you sure this is such a good idea?" Inuyasha closed his eyes wearily, biting out the painful words he had to.

"Masago is nearly a full demon. It will take a hundred and fifty years for her to grow up. When it is no longer necessary for her to nurse, it will be good for her to have someone looking out for her."

"Inuyasha," Ayame broke in laying a hand atop her heart. "I promise, when your daughter comes to visit, I will care for her as though she were my own. I will leave my son and your child free in their choices, but I will encourage them to uphold this vow between our families. I just know that Kagome-chan would approve." Inuyasha snuffed.

"It wasn't like her to hate anyone, that's all."

"And she is like that still. Do not loose heart, Inuyasha-sama. The feelings you are experiencing now are cruel. The mate-bond between demons is powerful but I know you can endure it long enough to save Kagome-sama. You must look after yourself long enough to save her."

Everyone turned to look at the most recent speaker. Inuyasha's mouth nearly popped open in a round "o" at someone whose existence he had entirely forgotten up until now yet was conversely unforgettable. Two small black ears, a gold-ribbed fan, and a prideful, pseudohumble arrogance- it was none other than Kan of the Night Wolf Demon Tribe.

She whom had once been assigned to be Inuyasha's head consort bowed her head respectfully to her former master. When she raised her head, a mischievous twinkle continued to glow in them, then sobered at his sorrowful appearance. Instead, the barest hint of compassion found a place on her cheekbones. Kan hid both behind her fan.

"You," Inuyasha said disquieted by her presence. Kan bowed apologetically.

"Lord Inuyasha. My condolences for all your grievances." Inuyasha kept nearly every ounce of his attention trained on the elegant demoness before him.

"Is there something you want to say to me? Where are the other wolf demons?"

"If you mean Rizu, Hisui, and Jun, then they have taken mates as well as new names. I myself am now known as Hoshika in honor of my new life."

Inuyasha twisted his head to look at the wolf demoness. Something was different about her. Taking a second look, her garb was no longer an elaborate multi-layer kimono so long that it trailed along the ground. Instead, she was attired somewhere along the lines of the Wolf Princess, Ayame. The greatest difference lay in that fabric was used for her blouse and skirt instead of fur. Her tiny cloak was made of black fur to match her ears.

The time spent amongst Kouga's wolf demon tribe had obviously altered her in other ways. Though the wolf demoness still moved with a lupine, defined grace, seasoned muscles assisted her in this task. Notable also was the fact that the tense, professional mask had faded, replaced instead by genuine calm. Inuyasha found her much improved for it. Above that, he thought nothing. He only stewed at the ironies such a life had given him. His eyes followed Hoshika's to his infant daughter. Masago's ears were as black as the wolf demon's, and a small smile quipped her lips at this coincidence.

"These must be your sons, Inuyasha-sama," the wolf demoness said allowing her gaze to rest on Aijo and Yasuo. Aijo bridled uncomfortably.

"You are you?" he blurted out. Hoshika, formerly Kan, suppressed a laugh.

"I am one of your father's former consorts," she said her eyes swimming with mischief. Both Aijo and Yasuo spluttered and sent horrified gazes toward Inuyasha. The hanyou was far worse off than either of them. A bright red blush threatened to consume him even as he shouted.

"It isn't like that! I never had anything to do with her!"

"Inuyasha-sama is correct. He forgo my services even before they began and dismissed me to live with wild wolf demons. For this, I have been grateful." Inuyasha calmed.

"So how are the other doing?"

"The others settled in even quicker than I. Although I hear complaints from time to time about the lack of luxury, the others are too busy raising pups to have time to worry."

"I got to hand it to you, Dog-face," Kouga interrupted. "Thanks to your bringing the girls here the pack is growing again. It's changed quite a bit though. Not as much fun being a male anymore."

"What he means," Ayame said whapping her mate lightly, "is that we're more civilized. No more left-over carcasses in the cave for you."

"They force us to take baths," Kouga said dismally. Inuyasha lifted a brow.

"What? You miss the fleas?"

"Bah. I can see I'm wasting my time talking to you, mutt."

"Whatever."

"Please stay the night, Inuyasha-sama," Ayame offered. "We will send our fastest wolf with you tomorrow to aid you in your search."

"Better yet, I'll go myself," Kouga offered.

"No!" Hoshika shouted, drawing attention to herself. "Please, Lord Inuyasha, Lord Kouga. Allow me to serve Inuyasha-sama for the duration of his quest." The former wolf consort kneeled, as did a small tan wolf by her side. Kouga and Ayame looked at one another, considering it.

"Fine then. Hoshika, I order you to keep watch over Mutt-Face here. Make sure he doesn't get himself into too much trouble, and don't let him pout either."

"What!" Miroku stepped in quickly.

"Very well, then, it's decided. Thank you Kouga." Miroku laid a restraining hand on the growling hanyou. "Come on Inuyasha. It's time we turned in for night." Inuyasha batted his hand away and stalked off. Kouga's eyes fell on the monk kindly.

"I gotta hand it to you, monk. You're one hell 'uv a beta."

"I owe it to him. Have you come across any leads?"

"There is one. Some kind of ice demon has been attacking up and down the countryside lately but around one area in particular. I suggest you all head east along the river for a week. It will take you to where you need to go. If Naraku _is_ back, then he might have something to do with it."

"Thank you, Kouga." Miroku bowed.

At the far side of the cave, Shippo curled up to sleep beside Inuyasha. Childhood still clung strongly to him, leaving his face angelic. Inuyasha, meanwhile, ignored the sleeping boy in favor of his daughter. Masago growled and blurgled in an endearing way, and he allowed her to chew on one his fingers. With a kiss to the head, he laid the infant on the pallet where she rocked and kicked. Then, with an especial fiendish delight, Masago grabbed hold of a lock of hair and pulled hard.

"Yow!" Inuyasha said fishing his hair out from his daughter's fingers before she could pull it again. "You really are a demon." Masago only blew happy bubbles. Inuyasha smiled at her, in a soft yet slightly sad way. Tomorrow they would return to the Bone-Eater's well so that his precious Masago could be safe in her mother's Era. If he personally held onto Shippo, it would be possible for the fox demon to make the journey to the future and both would be safe. Then, nothing would hold him back from finding his mate.

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More Author Notes: Things to anticipate- a war against demons, attacks on the Palace of the Lord of the West, more Taihen, more Senestice, Inuyasha's ascendancy to Taiyoukai, and a friendship with Hoshika. After that, yeah, Taihen/Kagome/Dog Goddess will lead us to the end of the story. Yes!!!! **Thank you for reading.**


	110. Chapter 110

Author Notes: The Aki Hara plot arc has ended

_**Original Characters **_

**Aijo: **Inuyasha's first born son. Born to a human Kagome, Aijo is mostly human. He has chosen to dwell amongst humans and has married a princess from a samurai family, taking the title of Castle Lord. He and his wife have had a single daughter together.

**Hoshika**: Wolf demoness formerly assigned by Sesshomaru to lead Inuyasha's consorts (Chapter 20). After Inuyasha's dismissal of her and her comrades, she has dwelt amongst Kouga's tribe. Her name means star.

**Masago: **Inuyasha's youngest daughter, child of hanyou Kagome and himself. Her name means sand/long life. She has inherited mostly demonic characteristics, most notably longetivity.

**Senestice:** A powerful Ice Demoness. The bereaved mother of two daughters whom fell at the hand of Inuyasha's family, she sought revenge by stealing Inuyasha's own daughter, Taihen. Her need for a child to mother drove her to accept Taihen as her own jealously guarded daughter. She has allied herself with Naraku.

**Taihen**: Inuyasha and Sango's daughter. Created by an unfortunate accident involving potion, grief, and Inuyasha's feral youkai side, she was given up by Sango at birth. After being raised for a brief duration of her infancy by Kagome and Inuyasha, she was kidnapped by Senestice. She sees Senestice as her real mother despite knowledge of her origins.

**Yasuo:** Inuyasha's second son, also born to a human Kagome. Prefers to dwell in the Modern Era where he works for his Uncle Sesshomaru's Secret Service as an enforcer of youkai government. Currently in the beginnings of a relationship with his youkai law enforcement partner, Kiku, an especially spirited bat demoness.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Inuyasha. Of course you knew that already.

**Chapter 110: A Beautiful Icestorm**

A single cascade, a jade leaf upon the wind, lifted up once, then fluttered down in its resigned spiral. Lobes like wings rested on the upheaved earth, pentagonal crystals forced from what was momentarily ago heady humus. In an instant more only, the leaf too was consumed, becoming blue as a supernatural frost crept up along its veining to swallow it in its entirety.

Taihen paused in her contemplations to cast one glance at the unfortunate leaf before stepping over it. Then, all remembrance of such a trivial incidence was swept away as the mind reordered itself on more important matters. Taihen's hand crept unconsciously up to the smooth handle wood of her naginata. Familiar exhilaration filled her with the gesture.

Above her head, Nanishii was making his sweeps. The spectral bird screeched out a warning, then dove. A few quick thrusts of its wings slowed itself from a formless blur to a corporeal, awe-inspiring beauty. A thousand feathers of diamond sheen dipped in an icefield blue, covering the bird from head to knee. At its back, the simplistic tail of lesser birds morphed into an implausible twin-tailed fountain. Taihen smiled in welcome. When the bird alit on her arm she reached behind its visciously pointed beak to stroke the glossy feathers of its head. Nanishii crowned out his thanks for the attention. Then, shifting his weight, the bird turned, and used his peak to playfully probe at a sidepouch in Taihen's keeping. Taihen batted him away mildly.

"Not now, Nanishii. We will be stopping to eat soon. Let me put more salve on your back."

In the strange ways of youkai magic, Taihen's pet bird Nanishii had survived an encounter with the Inu-youkai Sesshomaru. At the moment the Sesshomaru's claws had reached his back, Nanishii' reflexes had already begun to react to the Inu-youkai's strong magical presence. The sting of the Dog Lord's poisonous claws caused the bird to vaporize into a whirlpool of ice and escape, although not before taking a grievous wound which threatened its very life.

After her attack on Aijo's castle, Taihen had spent the next few weeks nursing Nanishii back to health. While she mourned the possibility of her pet's passing, she did not guilt any but herself for Nanishii's state. No burning desire for revenge beat at her ribs. Rather, she felt as peaceful, as serene as the ice which radiated outward from her footfalls, then ceased by some unspoken command.

Nanishii fidgeted, then flew away once more. Taihen was undisturbed. Here on the outskirts of the territory ruled by her mother, she fought no one.

Indeed, as she waded through a dense patch of ferns far taller than her head and caressing the bottom limbs of the maples themselves, her troubles parted like the greenery. A cluster of stones lay ahead in a small meadow hidden from mortal eyes. A panpipe greeted her, and a hundred curious, masked eyes.

Fujika perched on a large stone mighty enough to be dedicated by a mortal priest. Her hair was done up in pretty pink ribbons yet as usual a lock or two spilled rebelliously. The pipe in her hands was motionless; her hands were otherwise. Taihen paused.

Taihen's friend Fujika smiled and waved. Two furry paws descended the stone in a nimble jump, and soon Taihen's friend stood before her. There was a distinct tanuki beauty about her and her many family members. The two young girls embraced.

"Taihen," Fujika spoke gently. "Everyone's been worried about you. Your mother has been searching frantically." The tanuki girl clasped Taihen's hand within her own. Taihen only held it tighter.

"Mother must be greatly angered."

"She is. I have scented the trace of her magic many times of late. Word has it she has been rampaging in search of you."

"Oh mother! It is embarrassing for me to be coddled like that."

"It may be best if you went home immediately. Or perhaps you might stay amongst us. I will send one of the crows for a messenger."

"I can make it home on my own two legs, thank you. But it is tempting to stay for a little while longer. Are you having another festival?"

"Yes. We celebrate the ferns this time."

"I do not understand the tanuki. You have a festival every single full moon. Do you ever get tired of partying?" Fujika laughed.

"Of course not. Life is short, even to an immortal. We must laugh while we might still laugh, and cry our tears with pride. Take heart, Taihen. Tonight's festival is a mourning for all the tanuki warriors whom have fallen to protect our acerage on the hill of the ferns."

"Are ferns edible?"

"The uncoiled heads are delicious. Would you like to try some?"

"Later, perhaps."

"Then come dance with us." Fujika pulled on Taihen's hand, and the black-and-white-eared hanyou followed her friend into the tanuki square, where dozens of large, plump dogbadgers kicked their heels up around a bonfire. The ones inclined to be lazy lay on the ground, sipping from their drinking gourds. Others flirted with females. Meanwhile, the children both older and younger than Taihen danced on the vague boundary of the circle. Their routines were quite spirited, their merry skips and light-hearted twirls more than making up for the disorder.

"Hinata, take the flute please. Play for us the Drumman's Roll. Taihen is here to dance with us." A tanuki girl even younger than Fujika accepted the panpipe.

"Yes, cousin." The tanuki girl climbed to the top of a rock, puffed her tail importantly, and blew on the panpipe. A fragrant yet stern melody pierced the air. Momentarily, the initial verse was joined by the drumroll of yet another tanuki, from which the song apparently took its title.

Hearkening the commands made by the music, a full dozen tanuki children lined themselves in three rows of four dancers each. Taihen stood in the first row, just behind Fujika whom led them. She raised one hand aloft solemnly, then, without the slightest imbalance in her poise, pushed it and her foot out also. The action left her crouched, and pulling herself up regally, she twirled on the four quarter notes. She resumed the crouched stature in the reverse direction.

Taihen danced, and as she did so her movements remained as immaculate as her hair, braided and pinned neatly behind her. Her face too, was awash with an unnavigatable sea of determination. She lilted her hands, and pushed herself powerfully across the floor to raise them triumphantly around her body.

The Drumman's Roll mimicked the practiced movements of human warriors preparing for a battle. Soon afterwards, the slow melody and identical motions of every one of the dancers dissolved. Fujika startled Taihen by breaking ranks and pushing the hanyou child into the lead dancer's place, settling back into the place which was formerly Taihen's.

The dance carried through ceaseless. Despite the repositioning, Taihen caught onto her role quickly. When her line switched from its impression of a living waves colliding with those of the middle line, she broke file from the group to dance at the center. Her line and half of the second formed an angry circle about her. The remainder forged a second circle milling in the opposite direction to its adjacent first.

Taihen ran, then braked within her circular enclosure. She lashed her arms side to side as though she were threatening persons with them. Then, using only her right foot she pressed off the ground and did a backflip. When she landed again, she raised her hand to beacon her dancers and they formed a solid arrow behind them. Taihen receded to the background.

Afterwards, one of the dancers from the back line emerged and began to strut upon the stage. The arrow parted, revealing Taihen. It formed two lines. Within this alleyway, Taihen and the tanuki soloist made a few more movements before the entire dance stopped. The end was quite sudden, without resolution, but it was intended to be. As the dancers turned to stone, many of them kneeling, the long drum beat continued to pulse onwards suggesting confrontation. One of the elder tanuki girls began to sing and all except Taihen sat down to listen to her ode.

The sun had not yet dimmed when Taihen walked to the edge of the clearing. Fujika saw her off with a warm invitation to return. The hanyou only nodded at this friendliness, and disappeared into the trees.

The walk back to the mountain cave was an easy one. The hanyou child peered into the entrance of the cave she shared with her adoptive mother and called. "Mother. Mother? I am back."

There was no immediate reply. The cave was empty. Onsetting nervousness prickled the hairs on the back of Taihen's neck, so she sent Nanishii ahead to scout for her. The spectral bird glided away stealthily, and in a few wing beats returned. The ice demoness was not at home. Taking advantage of this good fortune, Taihen rushed into the kitchen. She stuffed her pockets with handfuls of fruit to eat, in case she was forbidden to eat dinner. Then, the temptation to skitter away and hide in the bedroom was too great to resist. Nanishii sat on Taihen's back to comfort her as she waited for the inevitable. A few minutes later, like clockwork, a rumbling crackle of the mountain itself heralded Senestice's arrival. Taihen's mother stormed into the room, followed by one on Naraku's saimyoshu. Taihen eeped as a pillow was wrenched free of her head.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in, young lady?" Senestice said menacingly. Her entire face puckered up with the scolding.

"Mother, I know you are angry with me for being gone so long."

"Two whole weeks!" wrathed Sensestice. "You have no idea how frantic I have been without you! You might have been hurt, or even dead." At this, Senestice sank down onto the bed and surprised Taihen by weeping. The girl put her arms around her mother's shoulders consolingly. Tears sprang up in her own eyes; and Taihen pressed her cheek against the ice demoness's back.

"Mother, I never meant to upset you."

"I know, child. But you have done a terrible thing. Lord Naraku is angry with you as well. He demands to speak with you. Taihen, my little girl, you must remember one thing. Master Naraku is all powerful. If he wishes to harm you, there is nothing I can do to protect you from him. You must never do anything to incite his wrath. Do you understand me child?"

"I understand." Senestice enfolded Taihen is a poised embrace. Both watched as the saimyoshu which had been watching them flew away and was replaced by another. Senestice stood, and held Taihen's small hand in hers.

"Come child. We must not keep Master Naraku waiting." Taihen gulped.

The place where Naraku now dwelt was a hidden fortification formerly built by a deceased warlord. This warlord had overseen its construction in order to protect and provide a stopping point for a secret supply line which ensured he was not starved out of his mansion, even when being continuously besieged. The fortification, a garrison to only a dozen men, had been built over an indentation in a cliff and constructed of the same rock as the cliff face. The effect on this was that it was nearly impossible to distinguish from the cliffs. The paths to and fro from this fortification were equally as invisible. Dense trees, bare rock, and slender streams provided ample opportunity for a marked trail to be lost.

It had taken Taihen several weeks to successfully backtrack the scent of one of the supply lines from the main castle to this fortress. It had been one of earliest missions to seek out this garrison and destroy those within it. With Senestice's help, she completed her task, then offered up possession of the castle to her Master Naraku. Naraku stated his approval, gave her permission to train with her swords, and made it his primary residence.

Taihen's meetings with Naraku had been limited. A handful of times, Senestice had supervised a visit. Naraku was always polite in these encounters. He asked Taihen how her training was doing and gave her gifts of finery. A few other times only, Taihen had kneeled before her master to directly receive orders for missions but for the most part, her instructions were delivered to indirectly her through saimyoushou or her mother, Senestice. At each encounter with Naraku, Taihen did not find anything about her master to be endearing. Quite the contrary, he instilled within her a lingering, instinctive fear. For this reason more than any, Taihen gave him her profound respect.

Previous to this point in time, she had not erred greatly from his orders despite the rebelliousness she showed toward her mother. With a gulp, Taihen realized that she had defied Lord Naraku twice in very serious ways. Once, she had spared the life of her father, the hanyou Inuyasha, an enemy to Naraku. The second defiance was disappearing on them all in order to tell her half-brother how the same hanyou might be freed. Taihen shivered with the thought that Naraku might have found out this treachery.

Despite this, Taihen approached the castle drawbridge with her head held high. Naraku's worm demon guards lazily flew away from path, leaving the gateway clear. Taihen bravely stepped inside.

"I come in response to my summons by the Master Naraku." The young hanyou neatly folded her hands together and bowed. One of Naraku's demon puppets, clothed in a baboon cloak, received her words.

"I take it then that you wish to pass. Very well. You shall have your wish. Your Master awaits you on the second floor. Do not keep him waiting." When the figure had finished speaking, it vanished away in a spiral of smoke. Once more this day, hair rose on the back of Taihen's neck.

"Mother," she said speaking to Senestice whom had followed her. "Naraku's words are angry. I could feel a burning hatred in them like to that of my foes."

"You have disobeyed him, Taihen," spoke Senestice sadly. "With mortals or immortals both, masters do not take kindly to imperfect service."

"Yes, mother. I understand. It shames me, too, to think I have failed."

"That is right," Senestice said in much the same mechanical quote she usually did. "You and I exist to serve our master. Our lives are his to command, to give, or to take. Our worth lies in how well we serve him. Our failures are stains on his honor, as well as our own." Taihen's ears folded back.

"So I am worthless then, for I have angered him?" Senestice lay her large hand on Taihen's shoulder as she stood behind. Both mother and daughter looked apprehensively inward.

"You will have the chance to redeem yourself, my daughter," said Senestice somewhat unhappily. So apprehensive was she that Taihen missed the one tear her mother wiped away. She squeezed Taihen's shoulder fondly.

"It will be all right. But you must tread this path alone, Taihen. The master has forbade me to come to this meeting."

"But Mother- I have never spoken to the Master alone."

"I know, Taihen. Now go."

Taihen frowned. More and more, this encounter was taking a grim outlook. Yet, there was no choice but to go ahead.

Hundreds of anxious worm demons continued to coat the sky and lurked in every corridor. As before when Taihen had entered the gate, they streamed away, leaving her path open. This pathway soon sutured closed after the young hanyou, blocking all view of Senestice. Nanishii cawed unhappily from her shoulder. The black-and-white eared hanyou patted its head in response.

"I know, Nanishii. I am sorry."

Taihen passed a row of torches on the stairs and entered the second floor. As expected, her master sat to the rear of the room between two brilliantly blazing braziers. Taihen shuffled forward and knelt. She bowed so that her ears touched the ground, and did not speak until she was spoken to. Her master, like his puppet, spoke angrily.

"So, Taihen. It pains me to realize that after all I have done for you as your master, you have seen fit to disobey me. Do you have any way to explain yourself?" Taihen gulped and kept her head bowed.

" Master. I do not have any excuses for my waywardness. I was foolish to venture forth on my own."

"That alone would not remove my benevolence. What concerns me is your kindness to our enemy." Taihen bit her lip to keep from gasping out her surprise. Did Naraku know what she had told Aijo? Apparently, he did, for a saimyoushou arrived holding up a large snail shell. Taihen watched in wonderment as the saimyoushou flew over and bid her to take it in her palm. With horror, she realized what she heard in it. Voices.

"What is that she said, Miroku? How is it she helped Yasuo get me down from the tree?"

"Aijo heard it first, Inuyasha. She said to him that the way to save you was to 'pass through the well as seek their revival. The great sword will tell the true identity of the soul'. That being said, I do not know where she came by such knowledge. As she said, Yasuo found your reincarnation because of his dealings with the Tetsusiaga and through you, Kagome-sama's reincarnation was found. Incidentally, the two are romantically bound. How fortunate for the both of them."

"Never mind that. Miroku. Why did she do it? Taihen has always claimed to be an enemy before now."

"I can not claim to say to know her intentions. I know only, that in the manner of how she passed word to us- she may not have been acting on the orders of Naraku."

Taihen gulped. Still kneeling before her Master Naraku, her hands trembled. She looked up into her master's bleeding crimson eyes until, terrified, she dropped the shell.

"Master. I..." Her words were cut short when a tendril rammed into the wall far distant from her shoulder, taking Nanishii with it. Several more tendrils wove themselves around her arms like chains. They squeezed the bone painfully. Taihen yelped as Naraku stood and wandered near to her to leer down.

"Did you think to mislead me? Unlike my enemies, I am not so easily fooled." A tendril flexed, causing Taihen to flinch in pain. Tears filled her eyes as she bowed her head.

"Master. Foolishly I repeated the words spoken by strange demons. I inquired on knowledge I thought they knew."

"Who told you these things?"

"A small demon I found singing on the full moon's night. She claimed that the hanyou Inuyasha would be freed. I did not think I would be aiding our enemies with my words."

"And yet, you ran from Senestice and my demon watch over you to consort with the son of my enemy."

"I wished to kill him, Master. I acted foolishly on my own. I wished to prove my worth as a warrior, but I have failed as a servant. Please, Master, forgive me." The tendrils around Taihen's wrists loosened, yet another vine creepily crept around her neck and forced her to look up into Naraku's eyes.

"Taihen," Naraku spoke practically purring in a delighted sort of menace. "The hanyou known as Inuyasha abandoned you. He left you at the whim of his enemies. He has replaced you, the child he never wanted, with heirs. You are nothing to him." Taihen bit her lip as fresh tears leaked out.

"Yet, your mother, the very woman whose children Inuyasha has slain, took you in with welcome. She gave you the love you could never have as a bastard child. She clothed you, fed you, and trained you in the way of a warrior. Is this any way to repay her, to cling to the murderer of your sisters, the same creature which abandoned you to be slain?"

"No, Master Naraku," Taihen said tearfully.

"Taihen. Is it not also true that I also have provided for you? I have charged my saimyoushou to watch over you. Senestice has kept you from harm at my orders. I myself have made arrangements for your training in order that you might become a strong demon. The naginata which you know wear is proof of my devotion to you as caring master. Such is the exceptional concern I have shown for you that I am not merely a lord to you. No. Am I not even as a father? It pains me to think she whom I have seen as daughter might conspire to rebel against me without just cause."

"Master," Taihen pleaded. "No Father, I…" The harsh tendril which had coiled around her neck receded abruptly. Taihen tumbled to the ground and clenched her abused throat.

"That is good, Taihen. Be careful not to disappoint me again. In order to redeem yourself, I ask you to complete a request. It is a special task only you can do."

"Yes," said Taihen gathering herself together and bowing with great relief.

"I have obtained a great deal of information about a minor demon lord belonging to the clan of the Inu-youkai. You are to lead an attack on his castle and kill every one of his underlings. He, you are to reserve for me."

"Yes, Master Naraku." Taihen's ears perked forward eagerly. She did like to destroy castles.

"I will be counting on you Taihen," said Naraku. "From this day forward, we begin our war against the Western Demon Kingdom."

Author's Notes: Next chapter should be Inuyasha and others mucking about. Thanks for reading!


	111. Chapter 111

Author Notes: Things to anticipate- a war against demons, attacks on the Palace of the Lord of the West, more Taihen, more Senestice, Inuyasha's ascendancy to Taiyoukai, and a friendship with Hoshika. After that, yeah, Taihen/Kagome/Dog Goddess will lead us to the end of the story. Yes!! **Thank you for reading.**

**Chapter 111: A War Against Demons**

These days, the Taiyoukai Sesshomaru cared little for conquest.

It was a strange change- one which his contemptiblely abhorrent, equally garrulous, yet devoted vassel Jaken could not fathom. Why a supreme being such as Sesshomaru would "squander his time, whiling away irreplaceable moments of a grandiouse lifetime on insignificant mortals and hanyous", was in his words, "completely inconcievable". In fact, the little green imp, now clothed in finer robes of supple silk and a more pointed, thin-crowned scholars cap than ever spent many long hours rambling to himself on subject, the bouts of which caused the remainder of Sesshomaru's servants, chiefly housekeepers, to tiptoe by the small green imp, as if he had an undocumented yet violently infectious disease which would confer stupidity on anyone so unfortunate to transmit it.

It was on one of these such days, when palace staff hid, in paranoia, behind columns at Jaken's approach, that a message arrived at the Palace of Taiyoukai Sesshomaru of the West. The small imp plucked the sealed envelope from one of the castle guardsmen with exaggerated finesse, opened his wide beak timorously and squealed, as only he could squeal, of the dire significance of a the letter which had not been opened yet. After a full three minutes of expletives the small imp then went on to extol, as if he was fully aware that all the columns of the palace had ears, of the immensity of the task which he, Jaken, as the one and only entrusted subordinate of Sesshomaru, could and would perform in a demonstration of flawless fidelity.

With a swagger which precipitated into a nasty trip over a forgotten broom handle, Jaken hastened down the hall. First, he poked his head into the war room, in a vain hope that Lord Sesshomaru had come to his senses and would be there, plotting the destruction of nearby youkai provinces. But alas, fortune was not with Jaken. So, with a scowl which imbedded deeper and deeper into his face until it almost seemed to turn backward and pinch the imp's cheeks inside-out, Jaken made his way to the inner courtyard garden where resided Sesshomaru's two wives and their children.

Sesshomaru's first wife, a regal inu-demoness from an unquestionably pure sky demon lineage, had borne Lord Sesshomaru's heir upon their first union. Since then, the great demoness had still-borned a son, and borne a daughter. Rin, however, had birthed Sesshomaru a single healthy, hanyou son.

The birth of Sesshomaru's hanyou son had sent shock waves rippling throughout the Western Kingdom. Rebellion threatened in some places, but unlike a similar incident with Sesshomaru's father concurrent with the birth of Inuyasha, violence did not erupt outright. Indeed, it was as though those vassals and provinces remaining loyal to the Taisho line had come to accept unpreventable eccentricity of their rulers. The revolutionary collapse of the kingdom of Sesshomaru's late father had in fact, prepared those vassals still united with his memory to embrace scandal. The hanyou son was tolerated.

What was worse, in Jaken's opinion, was that Lady Rin and Lady Kenri had become good friends. After the fashion of Murusaki, Kenri became a second mother to Rin's son. She, Rin, and their combined children lived seperationless. The entire family ate together, slept together on the same pallet for warmth, and worst of all, wandered the palace as a pack while the mothers giggled for hours on end about love and homemaking. It was enough to make Jaken horrified to be in their presence.

Luckless that he was, Jaken knew that Sesshomaru was certain to be in the middle of commotion. The enigmatic dog demon had radically altered his habits of late, and now he willingly spent hours amongst the tumult. The reason for this, Jaken decided for himself, was that Sesshomaru must really be very ill. Blind to the true cause of Sesshomaru's new endearing personality trait, Jakin took a deep breath. Pufffing out his small chest, then drawing himself up high, Jakin marched out into the garden where he could hear a young child's voice echoing. For a moment, the imp shook his head, remembering the nostalgic days in which he had served as keeper to Rin. But then the remembrance vanished, quashed by the memories of his most recent service.

Lord Sesshomaru, Taiyoukai to the Western Lands, was looking on the antics of his son, tugging at the cloth at his knee with his small fingers, when he heard the high, shrill sound of what he regarded as a godless horror. With too much propriety to stick his fingers in his ears to dampen the noise, Sesshomaru grimaced and manfully suffered through it. Nonetheless, the taiyouaki hastened to stand up and glide towards the small youkai lest he begin his horrendous screeching again.

"Is there a reason you disturb me, Jaken?" Sesshomaru asked as cruel and unforgiving as ever. When the imp failed to sputter out an explaination, Sesshomaru stepped on the imp's head. Remorseless, he removed his boot, then retrieved a letter as Jaken shakily lifted it above his head. With one claw he slit it open.

Sesshomaru read. Then, with eyebrows raised he handed it to Jaken. He turned.

"Rin. Lady Kenri. I must leave on business." The proud inuyoukai then proceeded to the war room.

Sesshomaru lowered himself onto a cushion before a low table strewn with maps. With a backhand to knock them off, he called for a fresh pot of ink which Jaken scrambled away for. He dipped his brush in it and began scribbling furiously.

"Er, my lord," Jaken began nervously. "Might I inquire what is going on?" Sesshomaru ignored his question until he had thought long and hard on it. At last, he deemed to answer.

"It would appear that one of my strongest allies has been murdered. It may have been my niece whom is responsible for this. Inuyasha must be informed. And.."

"And? Aye, what my lord?" said Jaken, his eyes shining with rapt attention.

"Every one of my chief vassals must be warned. Naraku is on the move."

* * *

High above a ruined castle, resting on an opaque cloud, Taihen watched. The tower below her sputtered with the last dull bites of a consuming fire. The air rising to fan her hair was laden with the fragrant tang of blood, also the not so sweet scent of charred flesh. Irregardless, Taihen looked on with somewhat of satisfaction. Despite their prey's being youkai, few, if any had survived. Taihen turned to her mother Senestice for approval and found it.

"Good job, my daughter," the ice-demoness stated with a slight incline of her head. "On this day, your training has been culminated. You have made me honored to be your mother."

At these words, Taihen wiped away two small tear drops from the corners of her eyes and the gave them to Nanishii. The small bird nibbled on them with great relish for within tears, the ice specter found a kind of mystical nourishment.

"Mother," said Taihen with Nanishi fluttering to balance at her wrist. "What is that below us coming? Is that Master Naraku?"

"Yes," said Senestice matter-of-factly. "You did remember to leave the master of the castle for him as he commanded, did you not?" Taihen responded with her most wicked smile.

"I left him alive," she stated with an air of devilry.

Inside the ruined tower, an elderly dog demon hung to the wall, pierced by spears of ice. Once, he must have been quite magestic. Fur of gold clad slender cheeks and sank down to expand into a dense ruff. It covered two stout arms still firm with muscles and crisscrossed with small scars of war. But now, grizzled eyes were fading weak as the effect of wounds pouring unstaunched overcame the old youkai. His growls had become less pronounced when Naraku, with his body stolen from Menomeru, came too stand before the old youkai lord. Looking up at the most recent intruder, the gold inuyoukai did not blink. Instead, he stared blankly, ignoring the tendrils which rose about him. In a few moments more, he was absorbed. Naraku pulsed, and examined his smoldering fingers. The evil half-demon began to smile.

"At long last, the power of a full-blooded youkai is mine." He laughed.

* * *

Ignorant of the worries of Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, second son to the late Inu-no-Taisho, followed Hoshika and her tan wolf companion up the side of a steep mountainside. His two sons, Aijo and Yasuo, followed his footsteps closely. Uruwashii trotted wanely after, while Miroku and Sango trailed far behind, their hands wrapped in Kilala's fur as a sort of tow. For all of them, the journey was difficult. Yet, the promise of finding Kagome kept them all going with a passion to rival their quest for the Shikon-no-tama.


	112. Chapter 112

Author Notes: Things to anticipate- a war against demons, attacks on the Palace of the Lord of the West, more Taihen, more Senestice, Inuyasha's ascendancy to Taiyoukai, and a friendship with Hoshika. After that, yeah, Taihen/Kagome/Dog Goddess will lead us to the end of the story. Yes!! **Thank you for reading.**

**Chapter 112: ****Hoshika's POV**

Rays of the sunset fast disappearing into encroaching black, long streaks of sweat began to stain the flanks of Niwa. After heaving a deep breath, the lean, tan wolf shuffled backwards, collapsing its rear paws upon the earth. Then, stretching itself out, it tipped its ears toward the voice of the wolf demoness Hoshika. With a grumble-some yawn, it welcomed her warm hand as it latched behind his ears to tousle them.

Once, decades prior but in a demon lifetime's span only a few years ago, Hoshika had been servant to the House of InuTaisho. She, Hoshika, formerly Kan, had been the second daughter born to her parents in the proud yet equally subservient Tribe of the Night Wolves. Her parents, grandparents, and even grandparents twice removed had also been servants and for that matter still were.

The history of her tribe was one that, even now, she held close to her heart- a pride she shared with all her sister wolves. Once, long ago in centuries past, a pack of ordinary wolves had become indebted to the founder of Inuyasha's ancient lineage. In exchange for food, shelter, and leadership, the wolves had pledged their loyalty and service to the Dog Demons. In war, they fought as soldiers while in peace, they stood guardian to tombs and forgotten routes; and yet secretly, their service was stained by greed. Hoshika's ancestors yearned for souls- for only a demonic soul brings immortality.

The Tribe of the Night Wolves haunted the earth on the behalf of demon lords. Gradually, the desire of the Night Wolves to possess immortality became true with time. The flesh and miasma of demons fought began to change them. So too did secret trysts with demon lovers. Even as their tainted kind began to be rejected by non-magical brethren, Greater Youkai accepted them at a price- to be forever marked as neither strong demons nor animals by their tell-tale ears, a mark to herald perpetual servitude. In a strange twist of fate, the Inu-hanyou son of Inu-no-Taisho had been born with similar ears, and as a gesture appropriate to vassals, the elders of the Night Demon Tribe had selected four of their most beautiful daughters to be given to him, just as Sesshomaru demanded.

Hoshika could remember the day clearly when her mother, with tearful pride, had embraced her. The elders' words had sealed her fate and bound her life inexplicably to three other wolf demoness' whom, like herself, were fair enough to please a demon lord. Hoshika herself was unsure what she felt on the matter. The irony that Sesshomaru had selected those of her kind as an insult to his brother was not lost on her. Yet, acceptance was a trait those of her tribe were taught at birth. Easily, she fell into the role of consort, dedicating both soul and body to a despicable hanyou, if only because it was her duty.

How much life had changed since then! When at last the hanyou son of Inu-no-Taisho had come, how unexpectedly she had been cut from the cloth which seemed woven for her! The Inu-hanyou had refused to acknowledge her, dismissing her instead and exiling her to the wilds. Yet it was such a happy exile!

The consorts with which Hoshika had trained had already married into Kouga's tribe. She herself had befriended Niwa, an ordinary wolf skilled at tracking. He had become her best friend and ironically, her subordinate.

Resting now as her former master and his friends caught up to her, Hoshika ruffled Niwa's soft ears. In the distance, a mane of silvery white bobbed and Hoshika could not but help think back on the words Inuyasha had once spoken to her. They had left a curious sort of impression on her. Once, Inuyasha had sat beneath the stars, his ears flicking up like the sparks of the fire as he listened to the night. The firelight reflected in his luminous eyes. Hoshika had asked the lord gently- "Why don't you wear shoes?" The hanyou's reply to her query had been mystifying.

"I wasn't born in a palace," Inuyasha had said. The dry tongues of a lulled fire had flickered between them, illuminating his care-worn face. "I may be the son of a lord, but the woods are my inheritance." Breathless, Hoshika had found herself nodding as the night stilled.

More than ten years had passed since that moment. In that time, Inuyasha's mate had born two more children. Kouga's tribe also had greatly increased in number with Ayame's cubs and those of Hoshika's sisters of the Night Wolf Demon Tribe. But it was much more than geneology which marked the change in time for Hoshika.

Inuyasha's parting words to her had been to be free. With this proclaimation, the female wolf demoness had been thrown into doubt. Free? Free of what? Free to worry about starvation, bitter cold, or the claws of enemies? Free to be poor, without any of the regard for culture such as she been brought to cherish surrounding her? Free to lose her family and clan forever as she adopted a different tribe?

And yet she herself had asked for this freedom. Hoshika could see it engraved in her reflection every time she looked with the water. Her eyes spoke of revulsion to commitment. Her hair only became married to the winds as she ran through them. Her limbs grew lean and hard as the courtier within her became obscured by earth.

It was by cause of her musings on Inuyasha's words that Hoshika had abandoned her slippers. Standing on the edge of a cliffside one day, Hoshika had removed both her shoes and stared at them. She wondered to herself what it had been like for Inuyasha to grow up without shoes. Recklessly, she had thrown them away.

As time went on, Hoshika discarded more and more of her courtier's clothing; and as time went on the more and more her mind changed. If all he owned was the forest, then who was Inuyasha? More importantly, who was she? Her idolation of youkai lords began to fail as one by one, like stars waning with the dawnbreak, idolatry began to give way to a greater truth. Her daily hunts etched survival for Hoshika clearly; to the earth all life is equal. If so, was not she equal even to a youkai lord?

The words of Kouga also encouraged Hoshika in this conviction. He too, like Inuyasha, valued his comrade's lives as much as his own. So it was that when Inuyasha came many years later to Kouga's village, that Hoshika had volunteered as an equal to help find the missing Kagome.

Against the rising dark, Inuyasha; his sons Shippo, Aijo, and Yasuo; the demons Kilala and Uruwashii; and the humans Miroku and Sango ascended the slope. Rapidly, they caught up to Hoshika as dwelt in her musings. The monk, Miroku, raised his hand wearily, calling the day's journey to a stop.

"We will rest here for the night," he said sitting down on the sidebank. Inuyasha glowered. Then, abandoning the pretense of argument he leapt into a tree and disappeared.

"Father's moping again," said Aijo. Yasuo nodded his head in agreement.

"Let's just let him rest. He needs it more than we do," Miroku cautioned.

Hoshika watched as camp was constructed all around her. First, everyone wordlessly scraped the first inches of the ground away so that no leaf matter remained. Next, within the circle a fire was built from dry kindling. Food was unpacked and cooked.

The camp's occupants then began to wander separately. Some made treks into the woods for kindling, some hunted for fresh meat, while others went away from camp to relieve themselves. Sango and Uruwashii crouched by the fire and carefully rationed the portions. After dinner, they washed dishes and carefully packed them away.

At last, the activity of the camp began to dwindle. Everyone, both human and demon, fell fast asleep beside the crackling fire. All, that was, except for Hoshika. As she watched, restless, a peculiar whimper began to come from Inuyasha's tree. Hoshika fixed her eyes on it. At last, she tested her tongue.

"Lord Inuyasha?"

The whimper paused, then minutes later continued undeterred. It was not constant, rather as intermittent as the wind and for this it was all the more heart-wrenching. Each sigh was a long plantiff.

Then, when Hoshika's ears began to twitch with anxiety the plantiffs stopped. A blur of red stirred before falling out of a tree with a large plop. Hoshika tensed where she was and watched.

On the ground, Inuyasha shook his head back and forth. Slowly, he rose to his feet. Then, without so much as a glance to his sleeping companions, Inuyasha left the warm light of the fireside. Hoshika watched as he disappeared into the darkness.

She paused. If she woke up any of the others, Lord Inuyasha would surely be displeased about it. On the other hand, if she let him wander off by himself in this state alone… Hoshika did not care to finish the thought. At last, she decided that the only course of action to take was to follow and she stole into the underbrush.

It was a difficult thing to crawl on her hands and knees but Hoshika managed it. At first, she tried to be cautious but when Inuyasha began to leap treetop from treetop, using a youkai wind to extend the jumps so that he floated slightly, Hoshika was forced to run. As rapidly as she could, she dove between tree trunks. Despite her conditioning she was grateful when the hanyou stopped so that she could catch her breath.

After recovering, Hoshika crept forward just a little further and poked her head out a bush to view him. Oddly, the Inu-youkai lord was just sitting there on the top of a modest cliff overlooking the river valley. It seemed innocent enough.

Hoshika crouched down on her back legs. She waited. An hour passed in which the hanyou merely stared up at the golden moon. Hoshika failed to understand his fascination with it.

Finally, the wolf demoness stood up carefully. Although she intended to return, a bone popped as she rose. Inuyasha's head twisted around and although she held herself immobile- she was caught.

"I knew you were back there," Inuyasha said with slight mockery to his voice. Her face flushed bright red at his humor.

"Forgive me, my Lord Inuyasha. I was worried about you." The slight smile immediately took a pronounced downturn.

"If that's what it is, go back to the campsite. I don't need pity from you, or anybody, except…" At this, the hanyou's eyes grew large and wistful once more. He waved a clawed hand.

"Go back to camp. I'm trying to think, okay?"

"About what?" Hoshika's curiousity was piqued. Inuyasha's jaw dropped open in incredubility.

"About what? It's none of your business."

"True. But I needed to ask you Lord Inuyasha. I need to know more than Miroku has told me about it. What happened to her? What happened to the mortal you love?" Inuyasha's eyes widened. He swallowed a deep breath. Slowly, he exhaled and began his tale. Hoshika listened with rapt attention until the sun began to rise.


	113. Chapter 113

Author Notes: My hiatus and writer's block are officially over. Yeah!

**Chapter 113: Inuyasha's Mourning**

In the brilliant, clear light of a summer's moon Inuyasha regarded Hoshika's world-wise stare thoughtfully. The demoness was by no means more than a passing stranger to the hanyou. So it was that the demoness's prying words elucidated little encouragement to him- instead it goaded him to a point of livid agitation being forced to recall the fact that he was miserable. Still, Hoshika's rash questions emboldened him to think about his grief clearly. Within this perturbed, unspoken justification of himself, Inuyasha unexpectedly came to realize something.

It was true, the inu-hanyou acknowledged in his irritated wrath, that heartache was a familiar term to him by now. In his impressionable childhood, his benign mother had been unpleasant to lose. The time he had spent wandering as a lost child had been equally as repugnant. Worse, two loves important to his life- first Kikyo and then Kagome, had been untimely ripped from him. What had been unanticipated by Inuyasha was that it would hurt so much harder to face this second loss of a bride. The statements he had thrown carelessly to Miroku were a truth steadfastly unrecognized by the monk- Inuyasha did wish truly to be sealed beneath an enchanted arrow once more as a way to escape the pain.

But this time, circumstances were very different than those he had faced in his loner youth. No longer could Inuyasha simply act in denial, kill something, or hop up into a tree to simmer agitatedly in his own grief, for many others surrounded him. After reaching the wolf's den, his son Aijo had chosen to remain with him at the expense of being apart from his own wife and child. Yasuo also remained by his side, declining the opportunity to go back to his life in the modern era. Similarly, many others also abandoned a normal, strife less life for his sake- Miroku, Sango, Uruwashii, Sango's brother Kohaku, and of course, Kilala.

As for Shippo and his infant daughter, Masago, both children were tucked safely away in the modern era; and here now, yet another unexpected ally pronounced concern. In years not so distant, Inuyasha would have brushed Hoshika's, (or Kouga's for that matter) gestures of kindness away as lies, but since then there had been Kagome. With her love he had come to embrace the fragile and profound concept known as trust, and borrowing her wisdom he looked upon the wolf demoness.

So it was that the stubborn hanyou bent his ears toward Hoshika's voice. He studied the former courtier's face, keen to sense duplicity. But only truth rang out. Inuyasha was made half-curious by the fact that the wolf demoness seemed to be in earnest, and so his next words prodded her sincerity.

"I took Kagome for my mate nearly twenty years ago. She was only a mortal girl then, but I loved her. She was the reason for my being… the reason I came to exist even. For I can't imagine any purpose to my life if not to love her." Hoshika remained mute, and indifferent to any embarrassment Inuyasha continued. Every now and again he half-glanced back at her, challenging her to lose interest.

"The first time I ever saw Kagome I was angry. I mistook her for Kikyo- the girl whom had killed me. I should have known right from the start she was someone different- she stumbled for a start. Only my Kagome was so careless… so carefree; and then our journey together began." Inuyasha's eyes ravidly searched for a single look of revulsion. To his shock he found none. Inuyasha was stumped.

But then, something both horrific and freeing came upon the hanyou. White hot tears he could not cry build up behind his eyes and the pain came out unbidden through his rusty voice. For hours afterward, underneath the benevolent brush of a living wind, Inuyasha found himself relating all the things that were important to him. Hoshika sat still in rapt attention for the hanyou's entire version of the search for the Shikon-no-Tama up till Naraku's seemingly permanent disappearance. Within this rendering, many of the ills of Inuyasha's life were left out; instead the hanyou recalled only pleasant or profound memories of the woman he loved.

"A lot has happened since then. After I took Kagome for my mate, we had two sons together. They are mostly human if anything. But then, one day, Miroku found work for us retrieving a sacred relic which had been stolen from its shrine. It seemed to be an old task for us, seeing as how we had helped a water sprite and a monkey out once before. But something went wrong this time. Before then, whenever Kagome had touched anything sacred, it would remain pure in her hands. But this time, it overwhelmed her."

"Overwhelmed her? How?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"Dunno. The demonic energy in the object somehow possessed her. No one could get it out of her so we accepted her as she was. No matter how much her body had changed she was still my mate."

"And then she had Masago."

"Yes."

"And then she died." Here, Inuyasha's brows furrowed upwards with a dark expression.

"Yes. Or maybe. To understand how you'd have to know about the most horrible thing I ever did." Hoshika was astonished as Inuyasha's face washed pale with shame. She allowed her own eyes to follow his anxious steps as he began to pace.

"Tell me, Lord Inuyasha. Please. I won't judge you. As my former master." The inu-hanyou's brows shot upwards in surprise and then settled. A heavy sigh took the place of his bitterness as Inuyasha finally found the resolution he was seeking.

"All right. I'll tell you. It's stupid on my part but here it is anyway. I cheated on my mate." Hoshika sat still-stock for but a moment when she found her tongue.

"Inuyasha-sama, if you had need of a consort so badly we might have considered…"

"No, no it was not like that!" the hanyou defended adamantly. "It was an accident. Someone in a human village gave my mate a perfume. It was a strange perfume, supposed to possess youkai. Kagome once called it a love potion although what I felt was anything but love."

"Adeirnm vine," Hoshika stated knowledgeably, surprising him. "It is commonly used in either wine or incense to correct impotency or failed conception amongst demons. To a hanyou such as yourself, it would be overmuch."

"I guess that makes sense."

"But if it had been Kagome whom possessed the potion, why do you say you have cheated on her?" Inuyasha gritted his teeth. In anger, he tightened his fists so hard that they bled.

"It wasn't her who opened the bottle. If it had been Kagome… I would never have forgiven myself for what happened to her. But what happened next was even more unforgivable. It was Sango. I went to her. I could not help myself. I was weak- and the potion got to me. I couldn't remember anything."

"And the mortal woman conceived the one you call Taihen." Hoshika smiled gently with a calm matter-of-factness.

"Yes. That's what happened."

"Inuyasha-sama," Hoshika stated suddenly sounding very stern and surprising him further. "You mustn't be so hard on yourself. You are after all, half-demon. We demons are fiercely loyal to our mates at times, but unlike the mortals you know, some of us are very polygamous."

"Wolf demons aren't," Inuyasha combated sourly.

"No, not frequently. And neither are dog-demons. But they are far more free-roving than wolves care to be. To me this all is quite an irony- a half-dog demon denouncing a desire for affairs of any sort, and a wolf demoness whom had devoted her life to become a consort thinking upon the same matter. But circumstances affect everything. Tell me Inuyasha-sama. What happened to the child?"

"What do you mean? There was nothing else I could do. After she was born, I took Taihen in to be raised by Kagome."

"Then by your own admission you acted honorably, Inuyasha-sama. Again I fail to see any cause for which to blame yourself."

"I hurt Kagome with all this. She nearly gave up on me. But she was always more loving than I deserved and she forgave me. We were happy together except for one thing."

"And what might that have been?"

"Taihen. Kagome loved the girl almost like a daughter. But one day, a demon stole her right out from under our noses. We couldn't find her until my bastard of a brother Sesshomaru did. By then she was already murdering other demons. We tried to catch her and then she turned on Kagome. It's all my fault that Kagome is gone." At this admission, Inuyasha began pacing once more with great vexation. Then, unexpectedly, he turned to snap at the wolf demoness.

"Miroku thinks there is a chance Kagome's still living. I don't believe it. But I'll keep on searching. At least until I can join her."

The hanyou finished speaking with great conviction, wide-eyed and wild, his strong frame bordered against the sky. A harsh wind tore up then, rattling the branches in the stands of pine around them. In one-heart stopping moment, Hoskika felt as much as heard one of the branches crack. Something bitter flickered across Inuyasha's face as they both heard it, and an internal struggle was lost in him. The recklessness of it all called- and he answered. Much too soon before Hoshika could do anything, Inuyasha leapt onto the stout branch of a tree and used it to launch himself into a trail-less pathway. There was no chance for Hoshika to catch up, now that the hanyou took his traveling so seriously. Instead, she could only wring her hands together with kind worry. So she skidded to a stop amidst of field of child-high blooms and became as lost as they underneath the darkened sky.

"Don't give up now, Inuyasha-sama," the wolf demoness whispered, staring off into the night after him. But the wolf demoness's words went heedless. Inuyasha had gone.

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Elsewhere in the Warring States Era, lain atop a little ice cloud hovering high up in the sky, Taihen rested her feet as she peered down at the Demon Kingdom of the West. Rumor had it, that once not so long ago, the kingdom and so many little kingdoms once annexed to it had belonged to a Gargantuan Sky Beast, a magnificent War-General said to be Lord Sesshomaru's father. Now, in recent years, the kingdom had waned in both size and wealth as allies and reluctant protectorates broke away to seek their own sovereignty.

It looked like a pleasant sort of place to Taihen. Here and there along the expanse of the kingdom, cloaked by demon tricks, there were magnificent castles nestled in foothills with broad lawns of green. Every now and then again Taihen could spy the splendid ceremonial stone-rings marking the entrance to underground settlements of den-loving demons. Or, looking toward the lowlands she could see dandy villas for water-demons floating on top of lakes. Centered inland, foundries of the fire demons belched smoke from their hidden pockets in lava fields. To the south, on crumbling, stormy overlooks, the occasional villa left over from the Thunder-Demon Tribe trembled in hapless disrepair. Last but not least, on mountaintops wreathed by mist, the stone bastions of youkai nobility cut their imposing teeth into the clouds. As heartless as Taihen offered herself to be at times, she could not help but be touched with the magnificence of the sight, even as she resolved herself to destroy it.

It was a difficult task which awaited Taihen. Regardless of the kingdom's past misfortunes, the current regent, Lord Sesshomaru, Weilder of Tenseiga and Ruler of the Western Lands of recent date, had done his best to restructure the multi-fractured kingdom. Time itself had healed most wounds. Those whom he governed were fewer in number than that of the glorious past, but stronger and much more self sufficient. They would not succumb to defeat easily.

"Mother," Taihen said wiggling her boot anxiously. "I left the inu-youkai general alive as Naraku ordered. But I do not know what to do next. I do not like sitting here, doing nothing. I want to do something." The young inu-hanyou frowned, the frosty blue of the ice she tumbled at her fingertips growing even frostier. Nanishii, her spectral bird, crooned his heartfelt agreement. An expression of profound worry crossed the ice demoness Senestice's brow.

"Now, now darling," said she in the most motherly, appeasing tone imaginable at the risk of spoiling she whom she considered to be her daughter. "I know you feel impatient but patience is one of the most important virtues one must ever learn. I must wait, and for however long it takes us, one day or one century to defeat Inuyasha, I will." Taihen's head bobbed with acceptance, but her mood grew even darker. Still, the young inu-hanyou tolerated Nanishii's attempts to preen the odd-flying strands of her fresh-snow-white hair. She did twinge, however, when the bird harmlessly pecked at her black-and-white mottled ears. With a wave of her hand, she shooed him off.

In all her days serving Naraku, Taihen had never had a wait as unpleasant as this one. But then, even inactivity turned interesting as way down on the roads on a warm and lazy earth, a mass of youkai emerged quite suddenly from one of the castles nearest to the one she had invaded recently. A line like to a thread was formed as they began to scurry, enmasse across the valley floor in a straight beeline for the capital- Sesshomaru's sovereign city. As they went the line continued increasing, as more and more youkai poured forth from the foothills and waterfalls and every nook and cranny imaginable; even the towns of mortal men and took their place in the line. The same process began again with every youkai stronghold they passed. In short order, Taihen realized she was looking at nothing short of a terrified exodus.

"Well, well," the inu-hanyou said with a sly grin. "It seems that things might be beginning to get a bit interesting."

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Sango the demonslayer was on fire duty at the time of the demon messenger's arrival. The outline of the sun was just creeping over the horizon to the east, casting a sort of rosy pink just too far above their heads for them to reach, since they were veiled in the dark wood's shadow. She threw another log on their faltering cooking fire and blew on it, once or twice only, to coach it into taking up the flame. Finally, it did so, giving off a lively crinkle and then sending out a few spiraling rings of smoke. By this heat, on top of a pile of diminished coals, she set a smoke-blackened pot to cook the breakfast rice in. One handful of hard grains each is what she set within, seasoned only by the water they boiled in.

The demon messenger, when it popped up, was a flying one. A bird demon of docile, uncarnivorous type, much unlike the blood-sucking ones that had once collected gory crimson fluid in order to sustain the chieftainess of their time, and in doing so had inadvertently aided Naraku to open a portal to the border of the afterlife. Still, Sango's reactive instincts as one whom had been raised a demonslayer meant that she had to force herself to lower her hand from the pot lid she had reflexively raised. With great trepidation, she took two steps toward the white, unusually large hawk and took the letter from his humanoid fingers underneath the tips of its wings. As she began to read, the creature gave her a bleary-eyed stare and flew away.

Inuyasha as well as Hoshika had been away all night. Sango, above all persons believed that Inuyasha could not be up to anything corrupt so she counted the fact only curious, not relevant. She leveled very accusing stares toward Inuyasha's sons as they rubbed their sleepy eyes and looked into the vacant spaces speculatively. Sango met Yasuo's gaze in particular with an iron-hard will like to the one she had held before Naraku had begun to wound her psychology. Sango sniffed. Yasuo's eyes widened, and respectfully he bowed his head in defeat. He would not utter a single question.

Niwa, Hoshika's wolf companion, ran into the ring of dusty earth central to their campsite a few minutes later, followed by Hoshika. The wolf demoness said nothing, just flicked her eyes too and fro the campsite once or twice, and settled herself on a log quite distant from the fire. To the eyes of all she was dispirited. Though it was not that cold, her two arms folded themselves around her as if to the keep heat in. Niwa settled himself down by her knee and whined anxiously.

Sango waited until her husband, Miroku, woke up and then she handed him the letter. Miroku's violet eyes crinkled up immediately as he scanned the script. He called for Inuyasha.

"Father isn't here," Yasuo explained plaintiffly. Aijo scowled. He more than anyone was not one to let such strange occurrences go without explanation.

"Don't you think we should go after him?" Aijo said blustering. Miroku, mysterious letter still aloft, leveled him a gaze as hard as his wife's had been.

"Yes, of course, Aijo. All of us. Sango, dear, let the fire die down a bit. The boys and myself will be back soon."

"Me too, Father," said the younger Kohaku tumbling from his blanket. The fox demoness Uruwashii, meanwhile, continued to snore.

"All right then," Miroku said taking up his staff. "Let's go."

It was a good thing that only the men had come along to witness Inuyasha's disgrace, or from a different perspective of things, his triumph in an accurate realization. Sometime in the night during his blurring run, something unimaginable had happened- something which the consequence of which was an unquenchable horror for the hanyou. Still, it did the other men no good to their vanity to see another grown man groveling.

Sometime in the night the string of beads around Inuyasha's neck had gotten entangled in a dry branch. Its sharp, derisive fingers had got hold of the string and, when Inuyasha had tried to pull the necklace free, found to his horror that his old-time curse had sometime waned of its enchantment. Without this magic, the necklace was as brittle as any other and split, sending pearl and fang-shaped beads spilling in every direction.

Aijo and the others found Inuyasha laying beneath a twisted snag remnant of an old hurricane. In fact, the hanyou had dug himself a sizably deep hole and was amicably laying within it, passively watching the sky. A knotted handkerchief lay tight in his hands across his chest- the remains of his old beaded necklace which he had gathered up- and most disturbed of all he had placed a large stone at the head of the hole under the deadfall. Miroku poked his head over the edge of the excavation and expressed his disgust.

"Good Buddha, Inuyasha, what do you think you are doing? We haven't even hardly begun to look for Kagome yet, so come out of that hole. And here you have often accused me of being defeatist." The anxious eyes of Aijo and Yasuo looked down at Inuyasha also; so that the hanyou might have felt very foolish if he had not been so miserable, which dampened the blow. As he struggled to his feet, Yasuo and Aijo both jumped down into the hole to take him under each arm to guide him. He did not bother to shake them off. Indeed, it might have been reassuring to have them there. Nethertheless, Inuyasha did not want them all to continue to think he had gone mad, and so he unbound the handkerchief by manner of explanation.

"The necklace Kagome gave me broke. It always was… what bound me to her. The magic in it is gone. I can not bury her,' Inuyasha said and here his ears drooped. "But I can bury it."

"It's not a bad idea, Inuyasha," Miroku spoke gently, consolingly. "But it does not mean absolutely that she is gone. The necklace broke and was put back together again once, was it not?" Inuyasha's eyes flashed hotly, but he made no argument. Instead, he watched Miroku approvingly as the monk took the handkerchief full of beads from him and placed it ceremoniously within the hole. Taking his lead, Aijo, Yasuo, and Kohaku all buried it. Miroku gave a somber ceremony for it afterwards. Even if it were just beads fallen from a string, he realized the significance of Inuyasha's loss. The necklace had been like to a wedding band from Kagome's times. The ring had joined them together as man and wife, fortunes forever intertwined, since long before they had begun to realize it. Now, this last visible tie to marriage was gone. Miroku was fearful of what might come of it.

"Come on, Inuyasha," said Miroku slapping a hand on the weary hanyou's shoulder. "I have faith we will find her yet. Besides, events are on the move. We have got a very strange letter from Sesshomaru. He is asking for your _help_."

Inuyasha's eyes rounded immediately. Surely, Miroku had not just said what he had thought he said. Just to be sure, the hanyou snatched up the letter when it was offered and read it himself. He sniffed it twice just to be sure and handed it back to the monk.

"It smells like Sesshomaru," Inuyasha assented. "And its his handwriting, too."

"I wonder what it all means."

Unrepentant for the drama he had created that morning, Inuyasha made his gloomy way to the campsite and watched the others eat their rice gruel. He felt no compulsion to join in the meal so instead he loitered atop a tree, making Miroku angry. His sons said nothing. Their fears for their mother simmered beneath the surface just as much as his.

Still, Inuyasha could not help but become fascinated by the sight which met them as they set off to fulfill Sesshomaru's request. Within the center of one of the lower valleys, spread out across a beaten-down meadow they found a line of more than forty fox demons, each of them carrying sacks thrown over their back. Following them were even more plentiful bunches of tanuki, imps, weasel demons, wolves, mice demons, and even centipede demons waddling across the land like a small train. There were also all the odd solitary ones such a demonic river-crab with glowing eyes, a demon made from a discarded cup, a demon born from a murdered wife, and a puddle demon, whom was very handsome and flew about sloshing sprinkles of water onto those whom did not appreciate it.

"It's is so strange," Sango said as her eyes fell on the site. She held Miroku's fingers between hers for comfort and he squeezed them.

"Just be glad there is no onigiri demon," Miroku said wisely. "I remember those tales. Once, at an old inn at Kyoto, an old man made an onigiri platter for his guests. Only, he was in great financial hardship at the time and he ate none of the rice himself. The guests were not hungry and so instead of eating them, they hide the rice balls in their sleeves. In the morning, they resumed their journey not knowing that the old inn keeper had died sometime during the night. Toward noontime, one of the guests pulled an onigiri from his sleeve and looked at it. He was shocked when he saw it had taken on the face of an old man. All of the guests pulled a rice ball from their pocket and saw that they looked the same. Then the onigiri spoke.

"Customer, customer, why have you slighted me?" the onigiri said.

The guests were astonished. Then, as one the rice balls swallowed up the poor guests and became one demon. Only one of the persons survived, their maid, whom had swallowed her onigiri at its reproach. Thus, she was spared."

"Demons are strange," Yasuo said shaking his head emphatically, thinking of his girlfriend.

"Humans can be too," said Aijo thinking of his wife.

But Sango did not have the time to contemplate the ways and forms of demons. Her eyes wandered onto a giant rabbit demon whom had diverted itself to come closer to them. It made a gesture of peace and Miroku motioned for it to draw nearer to them. Sango held her breath.

"Lord Inuyasha and his friends, I assume?" Inuyasha's ears flickered interest. Arms crossed, he leaned nearer.

"Who wants to know?"

"I do," said the rabbit demon. "I apologize for my lack of manners but your appearance has been described to me and the rumors must be true. In any case, I wish to warn you."

"Go on," the inu-hanyou said with a grimace.

"Well, the fact of the matter is that we all are on the run from a terrifying demon and his army. They completely destroyed one of the oldest dog-demon families and their holdings in one night. The ice demoness and her child have come to murder us all. We must run. We must run."

At this announcement, the rabbit demon seemed to forget its urgency for speech. It returned to its journey westward.

"Well, that was interesting," Inuyasha muttered darkly. No one needed to know what had upset him now. Taihen.

"We could continue on to Sesshomaru's castle," Miroku suggested mildly.

"Or not," Inuyasha said with great dislike for his half-brother.

The atmosphere might have remained in a state of ill-flavor then, but Kohaku, Sango's brother, flew down to them upon Kilala's back. The demonslayer tumbled off to stand resolutely, while Kilala rubbed the back of her head against Sango's hand. Sango happily returned the gesture of affection.

"Welcome back, Kohaku," said Miroku. "Have you found something?" Kohaku nodded.

"I have incredible news. You might even have a hard time believing it. I have been to visit Lord Sesshomaru. These last ten years, he has been taking his role as lord seriously. He has had two sons, one a full demon by a consort, and the other a half-demon by his wife Rin."

"Rin?" Miroku said incredulously. "The little human girl whom followed him?"

"The same. She has become an accomplished woman."

"I believe it," said Aijo. "Uncle Sesshomaru said much the same to me; and he's promised my family and descendants protection." Inuyasha absorbed this new knowledge, but remained inscrutable in his thoughts. "So what is this confusion all about?" Miroku said gesturing to the youkai hordes. Kohaku did not smile.

"Everyone of youkai blood is fleeing to take refuge within Lord Sesshomaru's castle. Naraku has consumed the power of a full blood taiyoukai. He was one of Sesshomaru's vassals, and one of his mother's relations. Now Naraku has all the power he wished and he is using it. Sesshomaru is asking that we try to protect the youkai trying to flee. We can give them the time they need to get to the castle by keeping Naraku's army at bay."

"Fine," Inuyasha snapped, putting a hand onto his sword hilt. Aijo and Yasuo looked at each other, then did the same.


	114. Chapter 114

Disclaimer: Alas, Inuyasha is not mine.

Author Notes: Another character death. Shame on me. One more and that's it, I promise. Kinda. And yes, they will get Kagome and Taihen back soon for a happy ending.

**Chapter 114: **

**The Incarnate Unrequited**

Inuyasha and his companions soon found themselves traveling within the dust cloud cast up the paws, hooves, claws, and feet of hundreds of demons as they trudged their weary way to Sesshomaru's stronghold. At every moment possible, the inu-hanyou cast his ears up to search for the noise of an approaching army. Every now and again, his alarm was raised as he detected a fierce crackling in the underbrush or the soft clack of stones, but each time it only was another demon vying to join the others in their fearful pilgrimage. Like to a herder, Inuyasha shooed them along.

Sango and her brother Kohaku both continued to drift lazily overhead of the demon crowd on the back of Kilala. Every now and again, Inuyasha could see one of them lean over the side of their perch to gaze down at him and the others. Uruwashii would ecstatically wave back at them with an almost fiendish delight each time.

The journey they made, under less pressing circumstances, might have been enjoyable. Midmorning, at the time when most demons longed for sleep, Inuyasha and his group would come across little groves and grotos packed from one end to another with slumbering demon folk. Demon worms would lie curled up peaceably in knots beside the odd, woodland bat demon, and ogre heads would hang from tree branches beside pretty demon girls made from single calligraphy set much as Yura had been a comb.

Toward nightfall, when the members of Inuyasha's group themselves grew weary, rings of radiant blue fires mixed with those of red sprung up in merry circles. Here, they would be welcomed by rabbit demons, bear demons, talking boar, and frightfully possessed squirrels. Happily, they even met up with Bounsa of the lynx demon tribe, and Shippo's kitsune friends. The camps would have been warm and lively, had it not been stained by an undercurrent of fear. Not even the tanuki dared to play music to lighten the mood.

After nearly a week of travel, the mountain pass containing Sesshomaru's stronghold finally came into view. To any human outsider, the pass which lead up to it was no narrow gash at all, but rather a vertical expanse of rock too high for anyone to climb. A mile to the front of their group, the very first of demons passed through this barrier, glowing orange as they came from one side of the trick to the other.

It was then that the first bolt of demonic energy descended in a crash from the sky, striking some of the minor demons. They died instantly. High overhead, a familiar set of ice-laden clouds were forming and drew down to them; and in the distance came the gutteral roar of Naraku's worm demons. The buzzing wings of saimyoushou began to drone. Soon the poisonous insects were to be seen hovering over an army of streaming worm demons, with an occasional soul collector scattered between.

A wail of terror tore free from the mouths of the demon folk whom had not yet passed to safety. As one, they began to scramble, trodding upon one another mercilessly in their desperation. With a wail of fury, Kilala swooped down and rescued a nekomata kitten from underneath the paws of demons and carried it Uruwashii to take care of. All the while, however, the desperation got worse as even more icebolts rained down.

"Damn it. We have to attack now," Inuyasha said, drawing the Tetsusiaga. A bolt of ice lightening seared close to his ears, but the hanyou did not give in to worry. The only sign of concern Inuyasha showed was to hold the blade of Tetsusiaga over him as a shield. But the wall of viscous demons was drawing nearer, and he removed it, to send a single windscar arching through their center. Around him, Aijo and Yasuo drew their swords. Miroku took out a handful of sutras and held them lightly at his fingertips. Sango meanwhile, took up her Hirikatose. Together, they cleared away a significant number of Naraku's demons. But still more came, and as the defenders grew weaker, the demons grew still more determined. Inadvertently, Inuyasha and his fighting group were forced back against the barrier to Sesshomaru's kingdom. But if they thought this to any form of defense, they were proved wrong as the first of the saimyoushou flew through. Sango gasped.

"Inuyasha, did you see that?" Miroku asked pointing. Inuyasha responded by sliding a single sidelong glance his way before returning both eyes keenly on the demon centipede whom curled frightfully before him.

"Yeah, I see it." There was nothing for it but to retreat.

Pandemonium, meanwhile, was errupting on the other side of the barrier. Saimyoushou and a dozen worm demons streamed unhindered through the barrier and began to devour those demons that might be caught. Some, to their credit, fought back. But a hundred more worm demons disentangled themselves from the battle front and desperate to halt them, Miroku used his wind tunnel to try to draw them in. Inuyasha and his sons, meanwhile, raked their claws against several creatures whom had made it in near enough to bite. With a mighty roar, Kilala bowled one of the larger creatures over with her shoulder just long enough for Yasuo to slice through it.

"It's no use," Miroku shouted over the din. "We have to retreat."

Inuyasha nodded. Then, after killing an enemy before him, he ran to push Aijo's shoulder away from where he was straining with a soul collector. With one sword stroke of the Tetsusiaga he dealt with it, and pushed his eldest son before him to make sure he fled. Whether or not quarter-demon was angry, everyone else had already taken flight. First amongst them, Uruwashii tripped, and then with great panic, scrambled up to her feet again to run with the nekomata kitten in her arms.

They followed the other youkai in their flight through a pair of vast wooden gates. As they entered, the doors swung inwards after them, closing. Yasuo's stomach turned at the sight of a small bunch of otter demons whom had not made it to the door in time. The desperate calls they made as they were being devoured did not help either. But then the bolts to the door were pushed fast and several dog demons studied Yasuo morosely. The young quarter-hanyou chose to turn away from the door. Instead, he looked upon the whitewashed faces of some several thousand youkai crammed into the fortress walls. To his surprise, Jakin was there in the midst of them. Still wearing his priestly top-hat, he chanted and hummed a prayer of some sorts, gathering a quiet an audience around him. A number of fox demons kneeled and folded their arms in prayer.

"I did not know that demons had religion," Miroku said, observing the same thing as Yasuo.

"Fool!" the small imp screeched out to show his infuriation. "You obviously know nothing. Of course a demon may pray to be reborn as something special in their next life." But then, Jakin settled back into his prayer and concentrated his efforts on swinging a small medallion. He dropped it in fright as the doors shuttered.

"They are trying to break though the doors," one of the guardsmen murmured out of his own fear. He stood before it to brace it. The taste of terror grew thicker.

But then a splotch of white appeared amongst them. Lord Sesshomaru had come and now, the clamor grew still. Perhaps some of the demons gathered there found him more frightful than the invading demons. Perhaps a few took hope in his ability to save them. Regardless, Sesshomaru walked smoothly across the floor to stand ten steps away from Inuyasha. The two brothers stared at one another.

"Lord Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said nodding. "Let it be known on this day that you are Taiyoukai. You rule this kingdom just as much as me."

"Huh?" Inuyasha said puzzling. "I think your brain must be broken or something."

"Perhaps, little brother. Let us just see if we both live through the night." The thousand youkai gathered around them convulsed as the door shuttered under force of an impact once more.

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A half hour later, every able demon warrior Sesshomaru could find waited in position. The doors still held. Inuyasha and those whom fought with him sat at the frontline of soldiers, sipping the water which had been brung to them, as they waited for the doors to be breached.

"Shippo would have loved to be here," Miroku said thoughtfully, looking at a group of grown fox demons, with dressed in ancient finery and wearing long whiskers tied up into moustaches on either side. Shippo's sister Uruwashii snorted.

"More like he would have been terrified to be here. Not like I'm terrified," the fox demoness said quickly. The younger Kohaku gave her his hand, and she took it.

"I'll protect you," the boy promised affectionately. Everyone else wisely chose to ignore them.

"Where did Miroku go?" Sango asked, suddenly. She pivoted her head, looking around for her husband. Uruwashii gestured a claw toward one of the stairways leading upwards before offering an explanation.

"Jakin got bored. And so he went into hiding. After that, one of the demoness began palm reading. Miroku went to have a try."

"Well, I guess that's all right," said Sango. "So long as she isn't beautiful."

"She's not," Uruwashii reassured her wrinkling her nose.

Uruwashii was right. The demoness Miroku had gone to look for was ancient. Her eyes were milky white with blindness, and her skin pouched. Every one the old demoness's bones seemed to redouble in on itself, making her smaller. Stuck out from the back of her kimono was a long tail missing its tip and the fur matted on it. Moreover, the old demoness smelled too strongly of incense to hide the souring of her ancient skin.

But the predictions the old demoness made were mostly true. This ability of hers had made her infamous amongst the demon world, and seeing so many of the demonic folk pled for her to gaze into their future, Miroku had found it impossible to resist standing in the line formed to see the obliging demoness.

"Are you certain that this seer's visions are reliable?" the human monk mumbled to Uruwashii, whom he had convinced her into escorting him here just in case any of the demons began to feel hungry for human flesh. Just the same, he kept his Buddhist staff with him.

"Absolutely. Her gift of sight is unchallenged amongst my people. It is so famous, that Lord Sesshomaru himself provides her with food from his storeroom though she is too old to hunt. Amongst youkai, when we lose self-sufficiency from age, ordinarily we accept our death. It is our way; our morality. But Onimi is too valuable so we make an exception to our culture."

"Interesting," said Miroku. "But I have seen examples of one youkai caring for another. A son caring for his ailing father, or a daughter for her mother and the like."

"Yes. I know. There is a conflict of opinion in these matters. Many demons brand what those demons do as weak, or immoral. It is not the way of warriors, they say. Compassion is unseemly for a demon. Still, sometimes we break the rules by caring for those of high-rank. Lady Ayame would hunt for her grandfather. There are also examples of immorality amongst us. Inuyasha's father, InuTaisho, is cited as an example of a weak-hearted, or corrupt demon. Yet because of such examples, our society is changing."

"Really, how so?"

"Well, because of Kouga's word, wolf demons no longer hunt humans. Also, because of traveling demon exterminators such as yourself, the demons whom despise humans are disappearing. There are only demons born of ghosts, city-dwelling demons, and wild ones left amongst us now. The old ones warn us that our hearts are becoming human."

"You make it sound like that is a bad thing." Hoshika gave the monk a wane smile.

But then the line in front them shrank, and the furry twosome immediately before them had its turn. The Seer Onimi pulled back the cloth draped for her privacy, and beckoned for Hoshika to enter. Miroku stepped forward to follow.

"No, no, young human. I will not read the future for you," she scolded. "But you may sit inside the tent." Her knarled, sharp-clawed fingers wrapped around Miroku's shoulder and steered him roughly inside. Miroku flinched, but then he was released to sit in a chair. Behind him he heard an old, cruel chuckle.

"Scared you, did I, young one? And you have right to be scared. In my youth, I used to eat mortal men such as you, but those days are gone." Miroku remained silent.

"Now, now, take no offense young one. I only lied outside for the sake of appearances. I will give you a fortune of sorts."

Miroku looked at Hoshika in askance. The wolf demoness nodded her head in encouragement and so the monk settled himself into his chair. Seer Onimi did likewise, tapping her stumpy tail.

"I have seen," Omini whispered. "I have gazed into the fires which burn in dreams, the threads which fate have left behind, the hopes of a child. But I may see also shadows of things to come. So I shall tell you, mortal man, to be hopeful. For the Age of Demons is at an end and Age of Man is just beginning. This is time's judgment." Hoshika was startled.

"Does this mean that we are all to die today?" The ancient demoness gave a haunting smile.

"Not all of us, my dear. You yourself will die to save the one you love, and die twice in another lifetime for his sake. Your name then shall be Itoe. But it is only a passing crush and then, you will find your true soul mate in a descendent of the man you love now."

"But I love no one," Hoshika reprimanded sharply. But the seer only smiled.

"I tell you both, to rejoice and to sorrow. For Lord Inuyasha has come into his reign. Mortal man, please bring this offering of mine before him with my blessings. The old is passed, and the new is before us. We must become human or disappear." So saying, the old demoness held a flower strengthened by magic up before her, much like to the one Ayame wore upon her ear. After a moment's hesitation longer, Miroku took it with his thanks.

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The sun set not long after the gates were barred to Sesshomaru's castle. The night passed painstakingly. Every able bodied demon kept watch, fearful to blink lest they be overwhelmed; and then, with the vanishing of the stars, the heavy gates to Sesshomaru's castle ceased to shutter. Naraku's worm demons took flight in another direction and as if answering a call, the saimyoushou went with them. The attack on the castle stopped.

"Naraku must be trying to lower our moral. Or to keep us penned in here until he deems it time to kill all of us," said Sesshomaru suddenly appearing amongst all of them. His ordinary feather boa trailed around him, and behind Jakin spluttered, his face covered with welts. Uruwashii giggled.

"I guess Lord Sesshomaru found him," the kitsune said.

"Indeed," answered Kohaku taking after his father.

"Naraku's troops will need to rest also before they return," Sesshomaru said sternly, ignoring their whispers. "Brother, you should come upstairs to rest in the appartments I have had prepared for you and your companions. When you awaken, there shall be a meal ready. I ask that you dine with myself and my wife." Inuyasha's eyebrows raised slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he walked single file amongst the others up the stair. Wolf demon servants wordlessly guided their every direction, and so he naturally drifted past each one.

As Hoshika mounted the top of the stair herself, she passed Sesshomaru. Much to her horror, the burnished, golden pupil of his eye fell on her, and a self-satisfied smirk rounded. Too much, it recalled the old prejudices of a brutal nature.

"You do well with your loyalties, consort," the Taiyoukai said, his cold cruel eyes glittering mirthlessly. Hoshika half-turned away ashamed.

The living quarters given to them by Lord Sesshomaru were vast and ornately decorated, although not necessarily luxurious. They were fashioned after the old notion of a wooden palace, where warmth came not from the substance of the walls but in the number of braziers placed within the room. Every bed was naught but a reed mat and blanket lain atop the floor. Still, every possible attention to bring pleasure to the room was made, from placing fresh flowers in the alcove to leaving sweets in a covered bowl.

Frustrated perhaps but weary, everyone of Inuyasha's group, including the hanyou himself lay down on their bed. One by one, they drifted off to sleep. All but one.

The wolf demoness Hoshika lay across her blanket, awake. In her hands, she twisted the glittering bloom the seer had meant for them to give to Inuyasha. The human monk, Miroku, and herself had spoken about it and decided that it might be best if Hoshika held onto it for the time being, since they did not know what it did, or even if it secretly held some sort of curse.

Thinking back on it, Hoshika found that the visit to the Seer Omina was an extremely strange one. The ancient demoness had sputtered nonsense; subtle jibes at a truth-untelling. Even Miroku, with all his fortune telling knowledge, could not help but be confused by the seer's words. But Hoshika was even more confused.

Whom was it she loved? Did she love at all? Was she even allowed to? The more she reflected on the question, the more Hoshika realized that all her life, she had focused her attention on one thing- her desire to do well in her sworn duty. Not just so that the Masters were pleased, but so that her mother was. So that all the wolf demons of the tribe were proud of her for being the clan's goodwill gift. So that all the other wolf demonesses whom were courtesens were cared for, encouraged by her. This had been her purpose.

But all of that was in the past. Still, the whirr of the dance floor around her as she spun, the flash of her dress, the scent of damask flower upon the wind, these had been her loves. With time, other loves had become hers too. The panting of Niwa. The rush of streams meeting together. The scent of juniper. Two silk shoes floated upon the water. She was a courtesan no more.

Hoshika rolled over onto her side and against Niwa, seeking sleep. The flower from the seer lay tight in her hand. It was then that footsteps sounded, to pace across the floor. They stopped. Without warming, a clawed hand dropped a blanket across her shoulders and as Hoshika turned, she caught sight of a wall of silver moving away before disappearing out the door. Dazed, Hoshika shook her head. She knew who it was. That was one answer she did have.

And yet- love? Was it possible to love? For so long, she had expected to be owned by one man- or half-demon to be exact. His face clouded before her. As Hoshika drifted off to sleep, she wondered, is it possible to love one man?

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Breakfast, if it might have been called that, was a strenuous affair. A much more tolerable imp than Jakin summoned them to Sesshomaru's formal greeting hall where they ate from separate tables. The astonishing sight of Rin affectionately greeted by Sesshomaru as his wife was alarming. So was the presence of the mother of his first-born heir, peaceably nibbling on her rice on Rin's other side. For Inuyasha, the worst yet might have been Sesshomaru's hanyou child resting peacefully in the mortal human's lap, while its father looked on with approval. For Hoshika the most dreadful moment of the whole affair was when both Rin and Sesshomaru's dog-demon courtesan Kenri looked her way and smiled.

"It must be happy for Lord Inuyasha for you to come when his wife has gone away," Kenri said with all her shrilly frankness. Inuyasha's sons, both Aijo and Yasuo, put down their chopsticks with a crude bang. It attracted Inuyasha's attention and blushing profusely, he managed to spout a few denials interspersed with profanities before declaring, "It's not like that. Hoshika is not within my service." Sesshomaru stared the same way he does when anyone tells him something strange, but he did not ask any questions.

"What was yours is yours to deal with," he said dismissing the issue.

"The important matter at hand is Naraku. He will return with the setting of the sun. Perhaps this time to attack seriously."

"How long do we have?"

"Two hours. In the meantime, you should continue to rest. Refresh yourself for the battle ahead."

"Hmn," Inuyasha murmured noncommittally before slurping up a bowl of mushroom-demon miso, whose life apparently was unsacred. Inuyasha had no particular liking for the things. Once, he and the others had carried out demonslaying mission and the things had run about on stubby legs, reminding him of the magic mushrooms in Mario Brothers, a game Kagome had shown him. A twinge of vengeance caused him to tip the bowl back so that he finished all of it. After the meal, specks of food had made their way onto his cheeks so he wiped them off with his sleeve.

"Lord Sesshomaru. Would you happen to have bath house we might use?" Miroku said, picking up on the opportunity.

"You shall have everything you need, human," said Sesshomaru rising to his feet. He gave a gesture to one of the servants in particular, and she nodded her head in acknowledgement of her new responsibility. When Miroku rose, she stepped briskly to address him.

Inuyasha scratched one of his ears. He might have imagined it, but perhaps he was getting bit by common fleas lately. It made him almost miss Myouga's chompings. But, so far as he knew, the old flea was peacefully in his grave they had made for him. Come to think of it, Inuyasha came to realize, it had been over a month since he had had a bath. This in mind, the hanyou followed after Miroku.

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"Are you coming, Uruwashii?" Sango said to the fox demoness. Shippo's elder sister gave the demonslayer a wide grin of acknowledgement, and pridefully flicked her tail before following down the corridor. Both women bent their heads together to gossip. Sango held Kilala cradled in the nook of her arm, and Hoshika could see the two-tailed cat demon twist her head at the discussion, then mew to the kitten Uruwashii now clenched possessively in her arms.

But the wolf demoness did not feel like following after them. Niwa growled to her in a soft voice, then followed as Hoshika slipped stealthily out of sight into a hall divergent from theirs. Then, after hearing their happy voices fade away, she backtracked her way down the staircase to the circle of guards policing the gate. She watched them in anxious silence. But after a while, Hoshika's hopes were realized when a cousin from the Night Wolf Demon Tribe appeared amongst the common crowd of idlers. Hoshika's heavy heart soared with her greeting.

"Hello cousin," Hoshika said in reply. "How goes your work here?"

"Fine," said her cousin, smoothing her servant's frock and the knot in her hair just in case it had worked loose during the day. Compared to Hoshika, her cousin was very plain, but this had been to her a blessing since she had been overlooked as a candidate to become consort. "And how has work been going?" The cousin pronounced the question lightly, and Hoshika cringed at it.

"I am no longer in Lord Inuyasha's service, Midori. Nor I am in Lord Sesshomaru's. Lord Inuyasha did not require my presence, so I was sent to a settlement of wild wolves. Lord Kouga and Lady Ayame of the Northern Mountains received me there to train as a warrior-hunter. This is Niwa, my favorite tracker." Sounding very pleased, Hoshika stroked the wolf on the head. It thumped its tail once against the floor to show its appreciation.

"You must tell me all about it, cousin," said the other with enthusiasm. But Hoshika shook her head.

"No. Perhaps another time. Today I must rest for the coming battle. But I had hoped for a bath in the servant's quarters. That way I will not bring confusion nor insult to anyone."

"But you are a consort," her cousin protested.

"Not any more."

"But in the eyes of our people, you are one. You were given a higher status than most, so it is unseemly for you to bathe as a servant."

"Not to me," Hoshika argued, feeling much unlike herself of past and much more wild.

"Well all right then," said her cousin. "But let me help you wash at least, so I do not get in trouble with the elders, or Lord Sesshomaru for that matter." Hoshika smiled her thanks.

The servant's bathing tubs were simple, made from bamboo planks swollen together and lashed by twine. Yet, the water within them was as warm as any other, and Hoshika lowered herself into it with relief. She had always been fond of water, so she enjoyed a brief soak, almost nodding off before her cousin brought soap to wash her hair, and oils to apply to her skin after. Hoshika had almost forgotten such oils by now and though she used them, the skin on her arms was hopelessly coarsened from the sun. Her cousin Midori fussed over it, and used a comb to untangle a knot in her hair. Then she set Hoshika standing upright again and nudged her on her way. Cousin and cousin spoke of the changing times companionably. But the younger, more plain wolf demoness had one more thing to say by means of parting advice.

"I won't tell you what to do, now that you have been dismissed. But remember that it was sworn that your body and life would be gifts to Lord Inuyasha from our people. It is not a vow which the other wolf demons would be unlikely to forget so easily."

"I will explain the circumstances to them," said Hoshika.

"This is your door, then," said Midori gesturing to the wooden sliding door before them before departing.

Eager to get back, Hoshika opened the latch and slide back the door gently so as not to break it. She made her way gracefully inside. Within the room itself, paper screens, cushions, and a smoldering brazier met her eye. But no one was there and she sat down to wait. Niwa lay down as well against her side.

"There must be some sort of mistake," said Hoshika to herself. "I do not see Sango or Uruwashii, nor any of the others for that matter." Hoshika was just beginning to decide to seek out the others themselves, when another paper sliding door on the far side of the living quarters slide open and she discerned the sound of two voices. The first was servant explaining that she had left Fire-Rat Robes on the hanger. The second was an irate voice telling her off for stealing his clothes. Hoshika cringed, for she knew it was Inuyasha.

The paper door slammed shut, and there was the rustling of clothes. A bathing kimono was discarded heartlessly in the corner, and Hoshika was tempted to peek round the corner. Instead she stayed where she was.

"Lord Inuyasha loves Kagome," Hoshika told herself sternly. "No matter whether or not he should have been mine first, or in case he really is attractive, he does not love me in that way. I should respect his privacy, for I respect him."

Hoshika was very glad when the paper sliding door to the room slid back again and heavy footsteps moved through them. Immediately, Hoshika uncovered her eyes and fled out back through the door whence she came. Then she found her plotting cousin and scolded her.

"You should not be angry with me for having given you an opportunity," her cousin complained without repentance. Hoshika left with her revenge unsatisfied. Was she allowed to stand beside those decisions she had made herself, and those she felt to be right? On her way back to the room again, Hoshika was lost so deep in her thought that she did not notice it when she stumbled into someone. Her cheeks flared crimson as she saw whom it was staring at her.

"Um, hello Inuyasha," she said, abased at his presence.

"Hello," the hanyou muttered, scratching his neck awkwardly. "You did not happen to, um, see anything just now did you?" The hanyou boy ended with an embarrassed cough.

"What? Oh no, Lord Inuyasha, I did not see anything. It was a mistake. I do not know that either of us would want anything like that." Inuyasha nodded once, relieved.

"Good, good, that's good," he stammered. Hoshika smiled at him.

"Lord Inuyasha," she said suddenly emboldened. "You really do love her, don't you? Your Lady Kagome." Inuyasha swallowed hard once. His eyes looked sad but he replied.

"Yes, I do."

"I see," said Hoshika. "Forgive me for saying so, Lord Inuyasha, but it becomes you to be faithful." A touch of love flooded within her chest, warming her gently.

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Defiant. That was how Taihen needed to feel today, standing tall beside her mother. Spear sharpened, swords keen, she waited for the coming moment. The moment when the ice sorceress Senestice would start it all.

Taihen looked down on castle before them. Naraku had ordered that they lay seige to it, wearing them down. It might have gone on for as much as three days or three weeks, but then Naraku had changed his mind. Something about his most recent transformation had made him impatient.

At the coming of nightfall. The time when the demonic army would see best. After they were rested. The victims they sought would be rested, of course too, but hopefully their fright had caused them all too sleep flitfully. Then they would die easier.

Taihen had dressed carefully for this moment. She laced the fastenings on her boots extra tight. She had thrice pinned her hair tie so that it could not fall out. But what worried Taihen was her mother, Senestice. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she prayed that she and her father did not cross swords again- for both their sakes. It was not in her heart any longer to hate him. But even more so, she did not wish for her mother to die. She could not allow it.

Taihen remembered well the time when her adoptive mother, Senestice had been hit full on by Inuyasha's attack. Taihen had found it necessary to pull her mother away to safety, to care for her wounds. The girl had been terrified then. Senestice had lain on the verge of death throughout the night, and then, her fever breaking somewhat, the ice demoness had been confined to bed for weeks. Closing her eyes to reflect, Taihen could still feel the moisture of water dripping on her hands as she tried to bowl-feed water to her injured mother. The heat of the blood on bandages seemed fresh. Taihen recalled snuggling close to her mother to share body heat as she spoke soothingly.

But when she opened her eyes, Taihen's golden orbs reflected only the land below her perch on an ice-cloud. A drum sounded in the distance, and she knew Sesshomaru's watchmen had sensed them. The time to attack had come.

Naraku's largest demon creations, absent until now, lumbered up the mountainside. Made from variety of smaller demons like to many of Naraku's other creations, this one had the wide, slashing jaws of a centipede on either side of its snout. A stegosaurus-like tail trailed after. The other had a very broad head, almost as large as the door he was to bust through, and boulder-thick shoulders. Aside from a stub, it had no tail at all, being made between a cross of a giant toad demon and innumerable other things. Its eyes heralded from a cat lineage.

The worm demons began to stream as one cascade from their knot in the sky, and the saimyoushou sent up their whining drone almost as if in challenge to those demons hidden within the castle. Taihen herself landed on earth and followed by foot, past the bones of demons whom had died yesterday. Taihen might have been saddened by them, but her heart was equally as hard as Sesshomaru's. Instead, she rested her version of the Hirikatose against her shoulder and listened to the first wood-splintering slam made by Naraku's creatures as they charged the door.

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The first ram of Naraku's demons against the castle door caused the floors to quake and loose objects to go tumbling. Every able fighter whom had not already made his way toward the entrance to brace themselves for the inevitable also reacted. Inuyasha jumped bolt upright, dragging Miroku to his feet. Yasuo hid his laptop with a curse. Uruwashii swooned so that Kohaku had to catch her from falling. No one could say that Shippo's elder sister was especially courageous.

But those determined to fight made their way to the coming battlefront. Inuyasha took a vacant space at the door front. Miroku found himself a spot beside the robe-wearing fox-demons. Sango sat astride Kilala before a group of demons similarly hovering mid-air. Hoshika meanwhile, tucked the flower the seer had given Miroku into her vest.

Standing before the door as it shuttered, Inuyasha drew the Tetsusiaga and allowed magic to flow into it, transforming it into its infamous shape. When a piece of the door broke away to reveal the barbed snout which had bored through it, he stabbed it ruthlessly, causing the creature to roar in pain and rage. In a brash move, Inuyasha himself leapt through the hole onto the other side of door, and dug the Tetsusiaga into the creature's side. Another hair-raising bellow sounded and Yasuo and Aijo looked at one another, them followed.

On the other side of the door, Inuyasha was finishing off the first demon with great difficulty due to its thick hide. Aijo and Yasuo jumped in to help. The second demon, meanwhile charged indicatively toward them and Inuyasha's sons broke off to stall it. But their efforts were in vain. They ducked, narrowly evading being charged over themselves, but in doing so failed to guard the door. The broad-headed demon hit the already damaged door with a loud crack, and victoriously sent it down before being dissolved in a windscar. Sesshomaru was suddenly standing amongst them, raising his own sword.

"Attack!" The Taiyoukai shouted out before flying by them, his feet transparent in his cloud of youkai aura. His decorative, furry boa streamed behind him like a banner, and those lesser demons whom wished to fight were left to catch up. So began one of the most intense frays in demonic history.

Demon fought demon. And not just any one clan in a territorial dispute with another. No, here almost every kind of demon there might ever be was present, from water-sprites whom lived harmoniously in shrines, to reclusive animal tribesman like wolf demons, to the sort of demon which may journey to and fro from the other world like Ryokotsei, guardian to the portal from hell. Underfoot, a swarm of rat demons ran to fling themselves on worm demons, biting them to the bone. Meanwhile, the illusions of fox demons blurred the air, stalling the worm demons by disorienting them. Frog demons blew bubbles to catch saimyoushou.

It seemed the tide was turning for them. But the mass of Naraku's army hit, overwhelming them in number. A toxic miasma also began to crept palpably, like a living creature into the open door of the castle itself, encircling them all. Those demons left in it too long began to choke and die. Sesshomaru turned and cast a concerned gaze toward the castle itself, where his own, new family was in peril. Inuyasha gave him an understanding nod and the Taiyouaki flew off in their direction. Miroku looked dismally at his sutras.

"What I wouldn't give now for a sacred arrow," the monk said before throwing his sutras to little effect. Inuyasha did the best he could to dispel the diseased air with his windscar. Around them, the saimyoushou, immune to poison, swooped down. Spouts of demonic fire raged desperately, diverting the air. The wink of a mirror flashed over them, and Sango cried, "Watch out!"

From beneath the ground, a wall of ice swaled, sending them skidding across its surface. If they had not moved quick enough, Yasuo, Aijo, and Inuyasha all might have been caught by the living ice which began to grow but instead they hacked free of it, and kept ten steps away from it after. Miroku waved his arms at them all desperately but there was no need for him to warn them to be cautious; for they all knew it to be deadly. Seeing the mirror still winking above, Sango leapt aboard Kilala and cleared the ground, flying as fast as she could towards it. Whipping around a cloud, she came face to face with the ice demoness Senestice.

"You!" Sango raged, her face contorted ferally. A heart's pulse later, she let her Hirikatose fly. It spun, gathering speed and struck the mirror with a vicious smash. Taihen watched the exchange in great confusion.

"You-bitch-stole my daughter away from me," Sango wrathed. Senestice answered nothing. She only kept an odd sort of remorseful expression, until Sango swooped in towards her with the Hirikatose she had just caught. Kilala dived, narrowly evading an ice whip. Another one caught her, but the two-tailed cat demon bit it loose and fell. She and her rider were caught by Ah-Um, whom navigated them safely to the ground.

A dragon's wail cut across the air and everyone of the demon defenders paled, for the dragons were traditionally the Dog Demon Clan's enemies. It was much to their astonishment then that a silver-backed dragon appeared overhead, to open its maw in a spew of silver. Hundreds of worm demons died, sizzling up in a force equal to Inuyasha's unceasing windscar, before just as mysteriously it flew away. It was then that Taihen decided to move.

The battle was beginning to turn against them. Mother had lost her mirror and now, Sesshomaru's clan were receiving unexpected reinforcements from what had been their enemy nation. She had to fight Inuyasha now for the appearance of things.

So determined, Taihen ran to the front of the battle from where she had been slaying imp demons and turned her blood stained sword on a mortal man. It was Kohaku, whom parried her unearnest blade.

"You don't have to do this," said he. Taihen only scowled. Digusted by him, she used her hand to knock him over harmlessly and ran on. Aijo saw her coming and pointed.

"Father," he called out, drawing Inuyasha's attention. A look of pain flashed over his face and then he held his own at sword at ready. Wary, he deflected the force of hers clashing ruthlessly against it. Taihen's sword became an angry cry.

"Why Father?" Taihen seemed to scream within herself as the blade hummed. "Why must we by enemies? Why am I not your daughter?" But the answer was equally as simple. She served Naraku. She was not free at all. Even now she tasted fear.

But that was quite enough. If she carried on, they might catch her, and then her mother would pay as consequence to the betrayal. Taihen had to return to her. But Taihen's eye had not been on the Senestice. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the ice demoness poised to strike. With Taihen's fight a distraction she had snuck up behind Inuyasha and now, she hurdled ice-daggers mixed with poison at the hanyou.

"Look out!" Taihen blurted. Inuyasha's eyes widened but it was too late. The ice daggers hit Hoshika and Niwa the instant they pushed Inuyasha away. Miroku helped the hanyou to turn the former wolf courtesan over gently. With last of her strength, she petted poor Niwa one last time, whom had died with her.

"Inuyasha," Hoshika thought to herself. "It is better this way. I do not regret becoming smitten with a half-demon. Not at all. We will meet again, Aki. And then I will find my true path." Upon her vest, the flower that the Seer Omini had given Miroku bloomed, accepting blood as the price for its secrets.

More Author Notes: One might ask, what is the point of the Hoshika arc? It's that Inuyasha is not naturally a cheater. I hope that came across well.


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